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Duck Tembusu virus exhibits neurovirulence in BALB/c mice.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Duck Tembusu virus is a member of the Ntaya group in the genus Flavivirus. The virus has been responsible for severe duck egg-drop syndrome in China since 2010. Its emergence and rapid spread have caused great economic loss for the poultry industry. The epidemiology of the virus infection and the potential threat to public health is of great concern because of the infective and zoonotic nature of flaviviruses. RESULTS: In this study, the pathogenicity of duck Tembusu virus in BALB/c mice was investigated. Infected mice developed clinical signs, including loss of appetite, ruffled hair, weight loss, disorientation, blindness and paralysis of hind limbs from six days post- infection following intracerebral inoculation. Morbidity was 100%, with mortality ranging from 20 to 80% in three- to eight-week-old mice. High virus titers were recovered from the brain, and the virus was distributed in several organs. Histologically, there was widespread non-suppurative encephalitis in the brain. Lymphocyte depletion in the spleen was observed, along with fatty degeneration in the liver and kidney. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that duck Tembusu virus is highly neurovirulent in BALB/c mice. The mouse model used in this work was able to produce Tembusu virus infection and could be useful for elucidating some of the aspects of the pathophysiology of other flavivirus infections.

SUBMITTER: Li S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3765187 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Duck Tembusu virus exhibits neurovirulence in BALB/c mice.

Li Shuang S Li Xiaoxia X Zhang Lijiao L Wang Yongyue Y Yu Xiuling X Tian Kegong K Su Wenliang W Han Bo B Su Jingliang J

Virology journal 20130814

<h4>Background</h4>Duck Tembusu virus is a member of the Ntaya group in the genus Flavivirus. The virus has been responsible for severe duck egg-drop syndrome in China since 2010. Its emergence and rapid spread have caused great economic loss for the poultry industry. The epidemiology of the virus infection and the potential threat to public health is of great concern because of the infective and zoonotic nature of flaviviruses.<h4>Results</h4>In this study, the pathogenicity of duck Tembusu vir ...[more]

PMID: 23941427

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Project description:The duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a novel mosquito-borne Flavivirus which caused huge economic losses for poultry industries in Southeast Asia and China. Currently, no effective antiviral drugs against this virus have been reported. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol present in abundance in green tea, has recently been demonstrated to have an antiviral activity for many viruses; however, whether EGCG can inhibit DTMUV infection remains unknown. Here, we tried to explore the anti-DTMUV effects and mechanisms of EGCG both in vitro and in vivo. Several EGCG treatment regimens were used to study the comprehensive antiviral activity of EGCG in DTMUV-infected baby hamster kidney cell line (BHK-21). The DTMUV titers of mock- and EGCG-treated infected cell cultures were determined using the tissue culture infective dose assay and the DTMUV mRNA copy number as determined using quantitative Real Time PCR. Moreover, the therapeutic efficacy of EGCG against DTMUV was assessed in DTMUV-infected ducklings. Our results suggested that EGCG significantly reduced the viral infection in BHK-21 cells in a dose-dependent manner, as reflected by the reduction of virus titers, virus copy number, and the expressions of viral E protein. We also observed that EGCG exhibited direct virucidal abilities against DTMUV. Notably, a significant reduction in virus binding ability was also observed, indicating that EGCG possesses excellent inhibitory effects on the viral adsorption step. In addition, DTMUV replication was also suppressed in BHK-21 cells treated with EGCG after viral entry, likely because of upregulation of the levels of interferon alfa and interferon beta. Finally, we also proved that EGCG exhibited anti-DTMUV efficacy in a duckling infection model because the survival rate was significantly improved. This is the first study to demonstrate the protective effect of EGCG against DTMUV, suggesting its potential use as an antiviral drug for DTMUV infection.

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Duck Tembusu virus exhibits neurovirulence in BALB/c mice.

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Duck Tembusu virus exhibits neurovirulence in BALB/c mice.

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