Naturally-occurring adenovirus-associated gastrointestinal lesions in Coturnix (Coturnix coturnix) quail

Farm-reared Coturnix quail less than 3 weeks old showed depression, ruffled feathers, diarrhoea and high mortality. Histological examination revealed basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies mainly in the digestive tract, and rarely in the liver, kidney, nasal epithelium, conjunctiva and columnar ep ithelial cells within the mucosa of the bursa of Fabricius. The inclusions were more numerous in the caeca than in the small. intestine. Ultrastructur ally, they contained many adenovirus-like particles approximately 60 nm in diameter. This is the first evidence of adenoviral inclusions in the glandu lar epithelium of the gizzard, conjunctiva, plical epithelium of bursa of F abricius, and mucosal epithelium of small and large intestines in Coturnix quail.