BACKGROUND Melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) and retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) selectively sense cytoplasmic viral RNA to induce an antiviral immune response. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is one of the most important infectious agents in chickens, and in chicken cells, it can be recognized by MDA5 to activate interferon production. RIG-I is considered to be absent ...

Some Newcastle disease virus (NDV) variants isolated from pigeons (pigeon paramyxovirus type 1; PPMV-1) do not show their full virulence potential for domestic chickens but may become virulent upon spread in these animals. In this study we examined the molecular changes responsible for this gain of virulence by passaging a low-pathogenic PPMV-1 isolate in chickens. Complete genome sequencing of...

Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) was first recognized as a cause of bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) mortality in 1994 in Arkansas (USA) and has since caused over 90 bald eagle and numerous American coot (Fulica americana) mortalities in five southeastern states. The cause of AVM remains undetermined but is suspected to be a biotoxin. Naturally occurring AVM has been limited to wild water...

Since April 2014, new infections of H5N6 avian influenza virus (AIV) in humans and domestic poultry have caused considerable economic losses in the poultry industry and posed an enormous threat to human health worldwide. In previous research using gene sequence and phylogenetic analysis, we reported that H5N6 AIV isolated in February 2015 (ZH283) in Pallas's sandgrouse was highly similar to tha...

A genetically recessive albino mutation, which inhibits pigment development in the eyes, skin, and feathers of domestic chickens from Brazil, is described. This mutation appeared in a flock of completely black chickens of a private breeder. There are no information on the origin, breed, or specific line of the birds. Pigment inhibition is apparently complete in the feathers and eyes. Bird sight...

West Nile virus (WNV) has caused disease in humans, equids, and birds at lower frequency in Mexico than in the United States. We hypothesized that the seemingly reduced virulence in Mexico was caused by attenuation of the Tabasco strain from southeastern Mexico, resulting in lower viremia than that caused by the Tecate strain from the more northern location of Baja California. During 2006-2008,...

H9 influenza viruses have become endemic in land-based domestic poultry in Asia and have sporadically crossed to pigs and humans. To understand the molecular determinants of their adaptation to land-based birds, we tested the replication and transmission of several 1970s duck H9 viruses in chickens and quail. Quail were more susceptible than chickens to these viruses, and generation of recombin...

Several previous reports and our studies show that waterfowl-origin influenza viruses can be more easily transmitted to domestic turkeys than chickens. Similarly, studies indicate turkeys to be better hosts for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from commercial poultry operations and live bird markets in comparison to chickens. Low 50% infectious-dose titers of wild bird as well as...

Genetic resistance to Salmonella infection in experimental animal models is well described. However, genetic resistance in domestic animals, which has potentially great value in terms of controlling Salmonella in the food chain, has been relatively poorly described. Recent advances in genetics and immunology have identified several factors that influence resistance in chickens and pigs in parti...

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) protect the germ line by targeting transposable elements (TEs) through the base-pair complementarity. We do not know how piRNAs co-evolve with TEs in chickens. Here we reported that all active TEs in the chicken germ line are targeted by piRNAs, and as TEs lose their activity, the corresponding piRNAs erode away. We observed de novo piRNA birth as host responds to...