Duck Virus Enteritis

Identification of the agent: The virus may be isolated from the liver, spleen and kidneys of birds dying from this infection. Virus may be recovered by infecting susceptible ducklings, in which the disease can be reproduced; by inoculating embryonated Muscovy duck eggs on the chorioallantoic membrane; or by inoculating cell cultures of duck embryo or Muscovy duck embryo origin. The identity of the virus can be confirmed by neutralisation tests using specific antiserum to inhibit pathological changes in the duck embryos or the cytopathological effects in the cell cultures, or by direct or indirect immunofluorescence tests on infected cell cultures. Alternatively the DVE DNA may be detected by the polymerase chain reaction from the oesophagus, liver and spleen of DVEinfected birds as well as from Muscovy duck embryos or cells used for virus isolation.