PATHOGENESIS OF INFECTION-INDUCED BY AN ADENOVIRUS ISOLATED FROM A GOAT

Objective-To determine the pathogenic potential of an adenovirus isola ted from a goat. Animals-14 colostrum-deprived, isolation-reared goal kids approximately 3 weeks old. Procedure-Kids were inoculated with ei ther cell culture fluid containing adenovirus (n = 10) or uninfected c ell culture fluid (n = 4): 2 mi transtracheally and 1 ml/nostril. Clin ical signs of disease and rectal temperature were recorded daily; nasa l secretion and fecal specimens were collected daily. Control kids wer e necropsied, 2/d, on postinoculation days (PID) 5 and 10, Virus-inocu lated kids were necropsied on PID 3, 5, 7, 10, and 28. After necropsy, lung, liver, kidney, and brain specimens were aseptically collected f or virus isolation attempts. Tracheal fluid was collected on sterile c otton swabs. Turbinate, trachea, lung, mediastinal lymph node, liver, kidney, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, mesenteric lymph node, colon, and br ain specimens were collected for histologic evaluation. Results-Kids d eveloped mild-to-moderate clinical respiratory tract infection. Virus was recovered consistently from nasal secretion and sporadically from fecal specimens. Grossly, there were multiple areas of atelectasis and hyperemia, principally in the cranioventral portion of the lungs. Mic roscopically, there was detachment and sloughing of foci of epithelial cells of the terminal bronchioles and alveoli. In kids necropsied lat e in the disease, these changes were accompanied by hyperplasia of typ e-it epithelial cells. Viral inclusions were not an obvious feature, b ut a few cells contained probable inclusions. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-The caprine adenovirus reported here is capable of inducing respiratory tract disease and lesions in the lungs of young kids.