Susceptibility of Japanese Quail and Chickens to Infection with Newcastle Disease Virus Genotype VIId

The susceptibility of Japanese quail to infection with Newcastle disease (ND) virus, was evaluated throughout experimental study. A total of 25quails (36 days old) and 25 chickens (28 day old) were divided into 4 groups. G1 (non-vaccinated, non-challenged quail), G2 (non-vaccinated challenged quail by genotype VIId), G3 (non-vaccinated, non-challenged chickens), and G4 (non-vaccinated challenged chickens by genotype VIId). Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay for NDV was conducted pre and post-challenge. Clinical signs, gross and histopathological examinations were performed and lesions were recorded. NDV genotypeVIId (NDV-VIId) results in 33% mortality in quails to 100% mortality in chickens. From that study, we found that quails are resist to NDV-VIId infection, however this virus is a highly virulent velogenic NDV strain according to intracerebral pathogenicity index test (ICPT), and causing highly contagious disease in poultry. ND resulted in respiratory and nervous signs in chickens and quails with a higher severity of lesions scores in chickens. Non suppurative encephalitis, trachitis pneumonia and enteritis were the main histopathological features that were recorded in infected birds.