Duck viral pathogens primarily include the avian influenza virus (AIV) subtypes H5, H7, and H9; duck hepatitis virus (DHV); duck tembusu virus (DTMUV); egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV); duck enteritis virus (DEV); Newcastle disease virus (NDV); duck circovirus (DuCV); muscovy duck reovirus (MDRV); and muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV). These pathogens cause great economic losses to China’s duck breeding industry. A rapid, specific, sensitive and high-throughput GeXP-based multiplex PCR assay consisting of chimeric primer-based PCR amplification with fluorescent labeling and capillary electrophoresis separation was developed and optimized to simultaneously detect these eleven viral pathogens. Single and mixed pathogen cDNA/DNA templates were used to evaluate the specificity of the GeXP-multiplex assay. Corresponding specific DNA products were amplified from each pathogen. Other pathogens, including duck Escherichia coli, duck Salmonella, duck Staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella multocida, infectious bronchitis virus, and Mycoplasma gallisepticum, did not result in amplification products. The detection limit of GeXP was 103copies when all twelve pre-mixed plasmids containing the target genes of eleven types of duck viruses were present. To further evaluate the reliability of GeXP, 150 clinical field samples were evaluated. Comparison with the results of conventional PCR methods for the field samples, the GeXP-multiplex PCR method was more sensitive and accurate. This GeXP-based multiplex PCR method can be utilized for the rapid differential diagnosis of clinical samples as an effective tool to prevent and control duck viruses with similar clinical symptoms.

Duck circovirus (DuCV) infection in farmed ducks is associated with growth problems or retardation syndromes. Rapid identification of DuCV infected ducks is essential to control DuCV effectively. Therefore_, this study aims to develop of an assay for DuCV to be highly specific, sensitive, and simple without any specialized equipment. A set of six specific primers was designed to target the sequences of the Rep gene of DuCV, and A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay were developed and the reaction conditions were optimized for rapid detection of DuCV. The LAMP assay reaction was conducted in a 62°C water bath condition for 50 min. Then the amplification products were visualized directly for color changes. This LAMP assay is highly sensitive and able to detect twenty copies of DuCV DNA. The specificity of this LAMP assay was supported by no cross-reaction with other duck pathogens. This LAMP method for DuCV is highly specific and sensitive and can be used as a rapid and direct diagnostic assay for testing clinical samples.

Infectious arthritis in broilers represents an economic and health problem, resulting in severe losses due to retarded growth and downgrading at the slaughterhouse. The most common agents associated with cases of infectious arthritis in poultry are avian reovirus (ARV) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS). The accurate differentiation and rapid diagnosis of ARV and MS are essential prerequisites for the effective control and prevention of these avian pathogens in poultry flocks. This study thus aimed to develop and validate a duplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and quantification of ARV and MS. Specific primers and probes for each pathogen were designed to target the special sequence of the ARV σC gene or the MS phase-variable surface lipoprotein hemagglutinin (vlhA) gene. A duplex real-time PCR assay was developed, and the reaction conditions were optimized for the rapid detection and quantification of ARV and MS. The duplex real-time PCR assay was capable of ARV- and MS-specific detection without cross-reaction with other non-targeted avian pathogens. The sensitivity of this assay was 2 × 101 copies for a recombinant plasmid containing ARV σC or MS vlhA gene, and 100 times higher than that of conventional PCR. This newly developed PCR assay was also reproducible and stable. All tested field samples of ARV and/or MS were detectable with this duplex real-time PCR assay compared with pathogen isolation and identification as well as serological tests. This duplex real-time PCR assay is highly specific, sensitive and reproducible and thus could provide a rapid, specific and sensitive diagnostic tool for the simultaneous detection of ARV and MS in poultry flocks. The assay will be useful not only for clinical diagnostics and disease surveillance but also for the efficient control and prevention of ARV and MS infections.

The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) causes enormous economic losses and poses a significant threat to public health; the development of vaccines against avian influenza is ongoing. To study the immunogenicity of hemagglutinin (HA) protein, we constructed a recombinant pET-32a-HA plasmid, induced HA protein expression with isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), verified it by SDS–PAGE and Western blotting, and determined the sensitivity of the recombinant protein to acid and heat. Subsequently, mice were immunized with the purified HA protein, and the immunization effect was evaluated according to the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer, serum IgG antibody titer, and cytokine secretion level of the mice. The results showed that the molecular weight of the HA protein was approximately 84 kDa, and the protein existed in both soluble and insoluble forms; in addition, the HA protein exhibited good acid and thermal stability, the HI antibody titer reached 6 log2–8 log2, and the IgG-binding antibody titer was 1:1,000,000. Moreover, the levels of IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 in the immunized mouse spleen cells were significantly increased compared with those in the control group. However, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-13, IFN-γ, IL-18, TNF-α, and GM-CSF were decreased in the immunized group. The recombinant HA protein utilized in this study exhibited good stability and exerted beneficial immune effects, providing a theoretical basis for further research on influenza vaccines.

Avian reovirus (ARV) infection is prevalent in farmed poultry and causes viral arthritis and severe immunosuppression. The spleen plays a very important part in protecting hosts against infectious pathogens. In this research, transcriptome and translatome sequencing technology were combined to investigate the mechanisms of transcriptional and translational regulation in the spleen after ARV infection. On a genome-wide scale, ARV infection can significantly reduce the translation efficiency (TE) of splenic genes. Differentially expressed translational efficiency genes (DTEGs) were identified, including 15 upregulated DTEGs and 396 downregulated DTEGs. These DTEGs were mainly enriched in immune regulation signaling pathways, which indicates that ARV infection reduces the innate immune response in the spleen. In addition, combined analyses revealed that the innate immune response involves the effects of transcriptional and translational regulation. Moreover, we discovered the key gene IL4I1, the most significantly upregulated gene at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Further studies in DF1 cells showed that overexpression of IL4I1 could inhibit the replication of ARV, while inhibiting the expression of endogenous IL4I1 with siRNA promoted the replication of ARV. Overexpression of IL4I1 significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of IFN-β, LGP2, TBK1 and NF-κB; however, the expression of these genes was significantly upregulated after inhibition of IL4I1, suggesting that IL4I1 may be a negative feedback effect of innate immune signaling pathways. In addition, there may be an interaction between IL4I1 and ARV σA protein, and we speculate that the IL4I1 protein plays a regulatory role by interacting with the σA protein. This study not only provides a new perspective on the regulatory mechanisms of the innate immune response after ARV infection but also enriches the knowledge of the host defense mechanisms against ARV invasion and the outcome of ARV evasion of the host’s innate immune response.