Pathological and Immunological Studies on Lymphomatotic Disease in Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica)

Abstract

Nine adult quails were affected with lymphomatotic disease. In them, the liver exhibited an enlargement with whitish foci. The spleen and proventriculus appeared grossly to be enlarged. The small intestine showed whitish thickening. The ovary was atrophic.
Histopathological changes were present in these organs, lungs, kidneys, heart, pancreas, and sciatic nerves. They were characterized by diffuse invasive masses of lymphoid cells of various sizes. The proliferative focus of the liver exhibited an increase in argyrophil fibers. Marek's disease (MD)-specific antigen was found at the feather tips of all the birds and MD-specific antibody in the serum of 2 birds.