CYTOLOGY OF FEATHER PULP LESIONS FROM MAREKS-DISEASE (MD) VIRUS-INFECTED CHICKENS AND ITS APPLICATION FOR DIAGNOSIS AND PREDICTION OF MD

Cytological changes of feather pulp lesions (FPL) sampled chronologica lly from. the same specific-pathogen free chickens inoculated with Mar ek's disease virus serotype 1 (MDV) were examined, comparing with thei r histological changes. The birds having Marek's disease (MD) lymphoma s or nerve lesions exhibited the characteristic lesion changes on the cytological smears of FPL; the initial non-suppurative inflammatory to the late lymphomatous FPL. The birds having neither the MD visceral l ymphomas nor the nerve lesions manifested only non-suppurative inflamm atory FPL on the cytological smears throughout the experimental period s. Histological evaluation of FPL sampled from the same birds confirme d as above mentioned cytological results. From these results, the cyto logical evaluation of FPL proved to be an effective diagnostic and pro gnostic tool in foreseeing MD incidence.