Distribution of Chicken Anaemia Virus in Tissues, Faeces and Environmental Samples up to Day 56 Following Artificial Infection in Specific Pathogen Free Chickens

Abstract

Chicken infectious anaemia is caused by a circovirus called chicken anaemia virus (CAV), and it has become an emerging threat to the poultry industry worldwide. CAV may cause clinical symptoms in young chickens and maintain subclinical infection in all chickens, causing immunosuppression resulting in vaccination failure and facilitating other diseases. In the absence of clinical manifestation, a reliable method for monitoring of CAV infection is needed for the poultry industry. An experiment was conducted in specific-pathogen-free-layer chickens to detect and quantify the viral genome (vDNA) in various tissues up to 56 days following artificial infection. CAV was detectable in a number of tissues as early as day 7 post-infection with a high titre in thymus and bone marrow; therefore, these two tissues will be preferred samples for molecular diagnosis. CAV was also detectable in bursa, kidney, liver and gonads at moderate levels and in skin and feather tips at a lower level. The virus was detectable in faeces and dust but not in litter.