Dj. Verwoerd et al., EXPERIMENTAL-INFECTION OF VACCINATED SLAUGHTER OSTRICHES WITH VIRULENT NEWCASTLE-DISEASE VIRUS, Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research, 64(3), 1997, pp. 213-216
A virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolate from an outbreak in c
ommercial poultry, with virulence indices of MDT = 47-48 h; IVPI = 2,1
7 and ICPI = 1,8, was used to inoculate 10x vaccinated (standard poult
ry vaccines) as well as 10x unvaccinated slaughter ostriches via intra
tracheal, ocular and nasal routes, in a controlled environment. All un
vaccinated ostriches developed clinical signs (mainly respiratory); tw
o of them died while the other eight recovered. No vaccinated ostriche
s developed any clinical signs. All remaining (18) ostriches were slau
ghtered 14 d after the last mortality. Virulent NDV could be re-isolat
ed from the dead birds, but not from organs, muscle (fresh), muscle (2
4 h chilled), gastro-instestinal tract, bone-marrow or respiratory sys
tem taken from the slaughtered ostriches. It is suggested that it woul
d be extremely unlikely that the international trade in ostrich meat c
ould act as a mechanism for spreading virulent NDV from endemic to non
-endemic parts of the world.