Ophthalmologic and oculopathologic findings in red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks with naturally acquired West Nile virus infection

To assess ophthalmologic features and ocular lesions in red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks naturally infected with West Nile virus (WNV). Original study. 13 hawks. All hawks underwent complete ophthalmic examinations including slit lamp biomicroscopy and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Elev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Vol. 231; no. 8; pp. 1240 - 1248
Main Authors:	Pauli, A.M, Cruz-Martinez, L.A, Ponder, J.B, Redig, P.T, Glaser, A.L, Klauss, G, Schoster, J.V, Wunschmann, A
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States 15-10-2007
Subjects:	Accipiter Accipiter cooperi Animals Animals, Wild - virology Antibodies, Viral - blood bird diseases Bird Diseases - diagnosis Bird Diseases - pathology Buteo jamaicensis Cooper's hawks disease diagnosis Euthanasia, Animal eye diseases Eye Infections, Viral - diagnosis Eye Infections, Viral - pathology Eye Infections, Viral - veterinary eyes hawks Hawks - virology histopathology immunohistochemistry Immunohistochemistry - veterinary lesions (animal) Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary viral diseases of animals and humans West Nile Fever - diagnosis West Nile Fever - pathology West Nile Fever - veterinary West Nile virus West Nile virus - isolation & purification
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Summary:	To assess ophthalmologic features and ocular lesions in red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks naturally infected with West Nile virus (WNV). Original study. 13 hawks. All hawks underwent complete ophthalmic examinations including slit lamp biomicroscopy and binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Eleven hawks were euthanized because of a grave prognosis; complete necropsies were performed. Eyes, brain, heart, and kidneys were processed for histologic and immunohistochemical examinations. Pooled tissue homogenates and aqueous humor samples were assessed for WNV nucleic acid via PCR assay, and anti-WNV antibody titers in aqueous humor and plasma were determined. All birds had similar funduscopic abnormalities including exudative chorioretinal lesions and chorioretinal scarring in a geographic or linear pattern. Eleven birds were euthanized, and 2 birds were released. Plasma from both released hawks and plasma and aqueous humor of all euthanized hawks that were evaluated contained anti-WNV antibodies. Except for 1 hawk, all euthanized hawks had WNV-associated disease (determined via detection of WNV antigen or nucleic acid in at least 1 organ). Histopathologic ocular abnormalities, most commonly pectenitis, were detected in all euthanized birds; several birds had segmental choroiditis, often with corresponding segmental retinal atrophy. West Nile virus antigen was detected in the retinas of 9 of the euthanized birds. In 2 hawks, WNV antigen was detected in the retina only. Results indicated that funduscopically detectable chorioretinal lesions appear to be associated with WNV disease in hawks. Detection of ocular lesions may aid in antemortem or postmortem diagnosis of this condition.
Bibliography:	http://www.avma.org/ ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-2 ObjectType-Feature-1
ISSN:	0003-1488 1943-569X
DOI:	10.2460/javma.231.8.1240