An avian pox virus was isolated from cutaneous proliferative lesions removed from greater hill mynahs (Gracula religiosa) imported from Malaysia. Cutaneous inoculation of specific pathogen-free chickens and bobwhite quail with the mynah pox virus resulted in severe proliferative cutaneous lesions similar to those seen in the naturally infected mynah birds. Microscopically, the reaction in the chickens and quail at sites of virus inoculation was characterized by marked epithelial hyperplasia with ballooning degeneration and formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Inoculation of conjunctival and oral mucosae of chickens by applying pox virus with a cotton swab did not result in gross or microscopic lesions. In cross-protection studies, chickens and bobwhite quail immunized with either quail, fowl, pigeon, turkey, or psittacine pox vaccines were not protected from challenge with mynah pox virus. Following vaccination of quail and chickens with mynah pox virus vaccine, there was no resistance to challenge by quail, fowl, pigeon, turkey, or psittacine pox viruses. Significant protection against development of lesions following inoculation with mynah pox virus was attained only when the homologous virus was used as a vaccine.
In comparison to the extensive characterization of haemagglutinin antibodies of avian influenza virus (AIV), the role of neuraminidase (NA) as an immunogen is less well understood. This study describes the construction and cellular responses of recombinant fowlpox viruses (rFWPV) strain FP9, co-expressing NA N1 gene of AIV A/Chicken/Malaysia/5858/2004, and chicken IL-12 gene. Our data shows that the N1 and IL-12 proteins were successfully expressed from the recombinants with 48 kD and 70 kD molecular weights, respectively. Upon inoculation into specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens at 105 p.f.u. ml-1, levels of CD3+/CD4+ and CD3+/CD8+ populations were higher in the wild-type fowlpox virus FP9 strain, compared to those of rFWPV-N1 and rFWPV-N1-IL-12 at weeks 2 and 5 time points. Furthermore, rFWPV-N1-IL-12 showed a suppressive effect on chicken body weight within 4 weeks after inoculation. We suggest that co-expression of N1 with or without IL-12 offers undesirable quality as a potential AIV vaccine candidate.