To investigate the susceptibility of Chukars to duck avian influenza virus H9N2 and explore their role in interspecies transmission of influenza viruses. Chukars were inoculated with duck avian influenza viruses H9N2. The present study demonstrated that inflammatory lesions and virus antigen were present in the trachea, bronchus, and parabronchus, and the viruses could be isolated from throat swabs and lung tissue homogenate supernatants. At 14 d post virus inoculation, anti-H9 influenza virus antibody in the serum was detected. The results indicated that Chukars are susceptible to duck avian influenza virus and serve as an intermediate host, thereby facilitating viral gene evolution and supporting the need for continued surveillance of epidemiology and evolution of the influenza virus in Chukars.
Animals ; Galliformes ; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Influenza in Birds ; virology ; Respiratory System ; pathology ; virology ; Virus Replication ; physiology

Maintaining genetic diversity is a major issue in conservation biology. In this study, we demonstrate the differences of genetic diversity levels between wild and captive individuals of Elliot's Pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti. Wild individuals showed a higher genetic diversity level than that of the captive individuals. Nucleotide diversity and haplotype diversity of wild individuals were 0.00628 and 0.993, while those of captive individuals were 0.00150 and 0.584 respectively. Only 3 haplotypes of mtDNA control region sequence were identified among 36 captive individuals, while 16 unique haplotypes were identified among the 17 wild individuals in this study. One captive haplotype was shared by a wild individual from Anhui Province. It is concluded that a low number of founders was the likely reason for the lower level genetic diversity of the captive group. Careful genetic management is suggested for captive populations, particularly of such an endangered species, to maintain genetic variability levels.
Animals ; Animals, Wild ; genetics ; Animals, Zoo ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Galliformes ; genetics ; Genetic Variation ; genetics ; Haplotypes ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics

Two adult rock partridges raised in a city zoo were examined parasitologically and pathologically. Two distinctive eggs resembling those of Capillaria and Heterakis were detected in the feces. At necropsy, a markedly-dilated duodenum with severe catarrhal exudates, containing adult worms of Capillaria sp. and Heterakis sp. in the cecum, was observed. Male Capillaria had the cloacal aperture extended almost terminally with a small bursal lobe and an unsheathed spicule with transverse folds without spines. Female Capillaria had a vulva that was slightly prominent and slightly posterior to the union of the esophagus and intestine. The esophagus of the adult Capillaria was more than a half as long as the body in the male, but was much shorter in the female. Based on these morphological features, the capillarid nematode was identified as Capillaria obsignata. The male adult worms of Heterakis was identifiable by 2 dissimilar spicules, a unique morphological feature where the right spicule was considerably longer than the left, which is also a characteristic feature of Heterakis gallinarum. This is the first report of concurrent infections with C. obsignata and H. gallinarium in rock partridges.
Animals ; Animals, Zoo/parasitology ; Ascaridida/*isolation & purification ; Ascaridida Infections/parasitology/*veterinary ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; Capillaria/*isolation & purification ; Enoplida Infections/parasitology/*veterinary ; Female ; *Galliformes/parasitology ; Male

IS901 RFLP analysis of 36 Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (MAA) isolates from 15 pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and two goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) from four pheasant farms was performed. Using this method, six different IS901 RFLP types (E, F, G, M, Q, and V) were identified. The distribution of IS901 RFLP profiles was tightly linked to individual flocks. Matching IS901 RFLP profiles observed in the present study indicate MAA transmission between pheasants and goshawks in the same locality. In two flocks, different pheasants within a flock as well as in various organs of five individual pheasants were found to have two distinct IS901 RFLP profiles.
Animals ; Bone Marrow/microbiology ; *Galliformes ; Intestines/microbiology ; Liver/microbiology ; Mycobacterium avium/*genetics ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; *Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Poultry Diseases/*microbiology ; Spleen/microbiology ; Tuberculosis, Avian/*microbiology

Cryptosporidium is the most common protozoan that can infect a wide range of animals, including mammals and birds. Avian Cryptosporidium spp. can cause enteric and respiratory diseases which can be fatal in birds and some species are zoonotic. Companion birds have the potential as reservoir due to their close contact with humans. Pet shops are the major source of companion birds. However, few reports are available regarding Cryptosporidium spp. infection among companion birds kept in pet shops. The present study reports the prevalence and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. among companion birds kept in pet shops in Japan. A total of 265 fresh fecal samples were obtained from birds kept in 4 pet shops; these birds belonged to 41 species in 3 bird orders. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the small subunit rRNA gene was employed for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. A total of 24 samples (9.1%) were positive, and Cryptosporidium spp. were detected from all pet shops. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in each of the bird orders was 6.5% (10/153) in Psittaciformes, 14.4% (13/90) in Passeriformes, and 4.5% (1/22) in Galliformes. Based on sequence analysis, 13 (54.2%) isolates were classified to C. galli, 8 (33.3%) were avian genotype III, and the remaining 3 (12.5%) were C. baileyi. No infection with zoonotic C. meleagridis and no coinfection with multiple Cryptosporidium spp. and/or genotypes were observed. The zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. infecting companion birds kept in pet shops in Japan is likely to be low.
Animals ; Birds ; Coinfection ; Cryptosporidium ; Friends ; Galliformes ; Genes, rRNA ; Genotype ; Humans ; Japan ; Mammals ; Passeriformes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Psittaciformes ; Sequence Analysis

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) is an avian retrovirus that can induce myelocytomas. A high-frequency mutation in gene envelope endows ALV-J with the potential for cross-species transmission. We wished to ascertain if the ALV-J can spread across species under selection pressure in susceptible and resistant hosts. First, we inoculated (in turn) two susceptible host birds (specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens and turkeys). Then, we inoculated three resistant hosts (pheasants, quails and ducks) to detect the viral shedding, pathologic changes, and genetic evolution of different isolates. We found that pheasants and quails were infected under the selective pressure that accumulates stepwise in different hosts, and that ducks were not infected. Infection rates for SPF chickens and turkeys were 100% (16/16), whereas those for pheasants and quails were 37.5% (6/16) and 11.1% (3/27). Infected hosts showed immune tolerance, and inflammation and tissue damage could be seen in the liver, spleen, kidneys and cardiovascular system. Non-synonymous mutation and synonymous ratio (NS/S) analyses revealed the NS/S in hypervariable region (hr) 2 of pheasants and quails was 2.5. That finding suggested that mutation of isolates in pheasants and quails was induced by selective pressure from the resistant host, and that the hr2 region is a critical domain in cross-species transmission of ALV-J. Sequencing showed that ALV-J isolates from turkeys, pheasants and quails had moved away from the original virus, and were closer to the ALV-J prototype strain HPRS-103. However, the HPRS-103 strain cannot infect pheasants and quails, so further studies are needed.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Avian Leukosis ; transmission ; virology ; Avian Leukosis Virus ; classification ; genetics ; physiology ; Chickens ; Ducks ; virology ; Galliformes ; virology ; Host Specificity ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Poultry Diseases ; transmission ; virology ; Quail ; virology ; Sequence Alignment ; Turkeys ; virology ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism