ABSTRACT
Studies were made to clarify the real role that was played by the partridge (Rhynchotus rufescens) in the epidemiological plan, under the perspective of its being an infection source of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV). For this, the study used specific-pathogen-free birds (SPF) that were housed with partridges inoculated with a pathogenic strain (velogenic viscerotropic) of NDV (DIE50=108,15/0,1 mL), by the ocular-nasal via. Each group was composed by 6 SPF birds and 6 partridges. At 5, 15 and 30 days after the inoculation of the partridgeswith NDV, 6 SPF birds were put together with each group of partridges, so that there was a direct contact between the species. After 5, 15 and 30 days since the challenge of the partridge with NDV, the samples were collected by means of cloacal swabs of the partridge for the viral isolation (pathogenic virus) in SPF embryos. There was no clinical disease in the partridges inoculated with NDV. Therefore, there was viral isolation from 5 to 15 days after the challenge with the NDV, demonstrating, this way the state of carrier of the partridge NDV which happened until 15 days of the experimental infection with this pathogen. So, 100% of the SPF birds which were housed with the NDV infected partridges, after 5 (group 1) and 15 days (group 2), died from four to eight days after the direct contact among species. This way, the transmission of the pathogenic virus of the partridgeswas evident until 15 days of the experimental infection with this pathogen (NDV) for the SPF birds that were housed together, and that calls the attention to the importance of the partridges from the epidemiological point of view as potential source of infection of the NDV to domestical birds that housed with these specie or near this breeding.
KEY WORDS
Partridges;
Rhynchotus rufescens
; Newcastle disease; epidemology; transmission; state of carrier