Denovirus Antigen Detection in Paraffinized Lung Sections of Pneumonic Goat Lungs Using Immunohistochemistry

BACKGROUNDS: Diseases affecting the respiratory tract of sheep and goats are one of the most important factors which limit production of these species on a world-wide basis. OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this study was to determine Adenovirus (AdV) antigen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung tissue of pneumonic goats, using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining method. METHODS: For this purpose, the lungs of 402 goats, which were raised in various farms in the Garmsar district and surrounding areas and were brought to the local abattoir for slaughtering between April and September 2016, were examined. RESULTS: Macroscopic pneumonia findings were detected in different lobes particularly in the apical and cardiac lobes of the lungs of 26 goats (%6.46). The rates of mild, moderate and severe consolidations observed in the pneumonic lungs were 59.8%, 26.3% and 11.6%, respectively. Pneumonias were microscopically classified in goats as interstitial pneumonia (n=15) (57.69%), suppurative bronchopneumonia (n=4) (15.38%), bronchointerstitial pneumonia (n=3) (11.53%), and parasitic pneumonia (n=4) (15.38%). A total of 22 pneumonic lungs, excluding parasitic pneumonia, examination with immunohistochemistry (IH) in terms of AdV antigen, were considered. AdV antigen was determined to be (13.63 %) (n=3) by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) method. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the presence of viral antigen in lung tissues of goats may indicate that natural pneumonia may be induced by AdV or possibly other species-specific AdVs. Moreover, it is suggested that AdV might have a role in predisposing this species to secondary bacterial infections.