Infectivity and Pathogenicity of Newcastle Disease Virus Strains of Different Avian Origin and Different Virulence for Mallard Ducklings

Experimental infections of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains of different avian origin and different virulence in mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings were undertaken to evaluate infectivity and pathogenicity of NDV for ducks and the potential role of ducks in the epidemiology of Newcastle disease (ND). Ducklings were experimentally infected with seven NDV strains, and their clinical sign, weight gain, antibody response, virus shedding, and virus distribution in tissues were investigated. The duck origin virulent strain duck/Jiangsu/JSD0812/2008 (JSD0812) and the Chinese standard virulent strain F48E8 were highly pathogenic for ducklings. They caused high morbidity and mortality, and they distributed extensively in various tissues of infected ducklings. Other strains, including pigeon origin virulent strain pigeon/Jiangsu/JSP0204/2002 (JSP0204), chicken origin virulent strain chicken/Jiangsu/JSC0804/2008 (JSC0804), goose origin virulent goose/Jiangsu/JSG0210/2002 (JSG0210), and vaccine strains Mukteswar and LaSota had no pathogenicity to ducklings. They produced neither clinical signs of the disease nor adverse effect on growth of infected ducklings, and they persisted in duck bodies for only a short period. Virus shedding was detectable in all infected ducklings, but its period and route varied with the virulence of NDV strains. The results suggest that NDV with high pathogenicity in ducks may arise from the evolution within its corresponding host, further confirming that the ducks play an important role in the epidemiology of ND.