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Avian Pathology
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Persistence of parvovirus antibody in geese that have

survived Derzsy's disease
a
R. E. Gough
a
Central Veterinary Laboratory , New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 3NB, England
Published online: 02 Jan 2008.

To cite this article: R. E. Gough (1987) Persistence of parvovirus antibody in geese that have survived Derzsy's disease, Avian
Pathology, 16:2, 327-330, DOI: 10.1080/03079458708436379

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03079458708436379

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 Avian Pathology, 16: 327-330, 1987

SHORT COMMUNICATION

PERSISTENCE OF PARVOVIRUS ANTIBODY IN GEESE

THAT HAVE SURVIVED DERZSY'S DISEASE

R.E. GOUGH

Central Veterinary Laboratory, New Haw, Weybridge,

Surrey KT15 3NB, England.
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SUMMARY
Virus neutralisation (VN) and agar gel precipitin (AGP) tests were
used to detect and measure parvovirus antibodies in geese that had
survived Derzsy's disease and susceptible age-matched contacts kept
under laboratory conditions. Serum samples were collected over a
period of 80 months and tested for the presence of parvovirus anti-
bodies. Between 68 and 72 months, eggs and progeny were tested for
the presence of antibodies and resistance to challenge. High and per-
sistent levels of antibody were detected in the sera from the Derzsy's
disease survivors and their eggs. Their progeny were fully resistant
to experimental challenge. The contact geese remained serologically
negative and their progeny were susceptible to challenge. These labora-
tory findings suggest that geese that have survived Derzsy's disease
as goslings do not shed the virus persistently as adults.

During 1979 a widespread and highly fatal disease-of goslings occurred in the
United Kingdom. The clinical and laboratory findings suggested that the disease
was Derzsy's 'disease, and this was confirmed following the isolation of a goose
parvovirus (Gough et al., 1981).
In the course of investigating this disease twenty-four affected goslings were brought
to the laboratory for observation and tests. During the first 3 weeks 15 of the
goslings died; however, the remaining geese survived for varying periods up to 80
months after infection. Throughout this period the geese were housed in isolation
and samples of serum were collected at 5, 14, 30, 43, 52, 63, 70 and 80 months
after infection, and examined for goose parvovirus antibodies.
Four months after arriving at the laboratory, six age-matched geese from an un-
affected ñock were placed in contact with the parvovirus survivors to monitor
for the shedding and spread of virus. These geese were sampled at similar intervals
and the sera examined for parvovirus antibodies using virus neutralisation (VN) and
agar gel precipitin (AGP) tests (Gough, 1984).
The serological results are presented in Table 1 and show that a high and sustained

Received 31 July 1986

Accepted 11 September 1986
 328 R.E. Gough

Table 1. The serological response of geese tested 43, 52, 63, 70 and 80 months
after surviving Derzsy 's disease

Time (months] after infection

Goose
Number 4 3
x\ 52 63 70 80
and sex AGPa VNb AGP VN AGP VN AGF> VN AGI» VN

218 (M) 6 4.2 5 5.0 5 5.8 4 4.0 4 4.5

928 (F) 5 4.7 4 4.2 6 4.5 3 4.3 4 5.2
927 (F) 5 5.0 Dc D D D D D D D
926 (M) _d 3.2 — — — — — 1.8 — —
929 (F) 5 4.8 3 4.0 5 4.0 3 4.2 2 4.0
1 (F) 5 4.5 3 4.2 6 4.5 5 4.0 5 5.0
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931 (F) 3 5.2 - 5.0 2 5.0 3 3.8 - 4.2

a
AGP antibody titre expressed as the Iog2 of the reciprocal of the highest dilution of serum
producing a precipitin line.
° VN antibody titre expressed as a logjo neutralisation index.
Negative result.
antibody response was evident for up to 80 months after infection. Goose number
926 remained AGP negative throughout with only low levels of neutralising anti-
body detected at 43 and 70 months after infection. The contact geese remained
serologically negative for up to 63 months when they were separated from the
parvovims survivors for breeding purposes. To investigate whether the survivors
transferred immunity to their progeny, eggs were collected from the geese between
68 and 72 months after infection. After incubation and hatching the progeny
were serum sampled at 2, 10, 14 and 28 days of age. The sera were pooled at the
specified times and tested by VN and AGP tests. Groups of goslings were also
challenged at similar times with a virulent goose parvovirus (Gough and Spackman,
1982).
Neutralising antibodies were detected in the goslings up to 14 days old but had
declined to insignificant levels by 28 days. The AGP test detected antibodies at
2 days of age only. The goslings were fully resistant to challenge and no clinical
signs were observed. Eggs from the contact geese were similarly hatched andthe
goslings sampled for parvovirus antibody and challenged at the specified times. No
antibodies were detected and no resistance to challenge was recorded except in
the 28-day-old goslings of which 45% survived challenge.
During the same period yolks from infertile eggs were collected and tested by VN
and AGP tests for the presence of parvovirus antibodies. Briefly, samples of yolk
were diluted in an equal volume of sterile PBS (pH 7.2) and thoroughly mixed.
The suspensions were then mixed with an equal volume of laboratory grade chloro-
form, left at room temperature for 1 hour and centrifuged at 1500 g for 20 min.
The upper layer was removed, heated at 56°C for 30 min and tested by VN and
AGP tests. The samples of yolk from eggs laid by the parvovirus survivors were
found to contain high levels of antibody. Virus neutralising indices ranged from
2.5 to 4.8 and AGP antibody titres from 2 2 to 2 4 . No antibodies were detected
in the yolk of eggs laid by the contact geese.
 Persistence of parvovirus antibody 329

Afshar (1981) reported that parvovirus infections of other species may result in the
survivors becoming persistently infected with the virus, leading to an immune
carrier state. Although the number of geese used in this study was limited and the
experimental conditions quite unlike a field situation, the finding that the contact
geese and their progeny remained serologically negative throughout the 63-month
study period, suggests that viral persistence in goose parvovirus survivors does not
occur, although the possibility does exist that a latent infection persisted without
virus shedding. The high sustained antibody levels in the surviving geese was prob-
ably a direct response to the primary parvovirus infection. The detection and
measurement of antibody in the yolk of eggs derived from parvovirus immune
geese is a useful method of identifying flocks or individual birds which have been
exposed to goose parvovirus infection without having to sample individual geese
or their progeny.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to Alan Bridges and Bill Cox, and to the staff who looked after
the geese during the study.

REFERENCES
Afshar, A. (1981). Canine parvovirus infection — a review. Veterinary Bulletin, 51: 605-616.
Gough, R.E. (1984). Application of the agar gel precipitin and virus neutralisation tests to the
serological study of goose parvovirus. Avian Pathology, 13: 501-509.
Gough, R.E. and Spackman, D. (1982). Studies with a duck embryo adapted goose parvovirus
vaccine. Avian Pathology, 11: 503-510.
Gough, R.E., Spackman, D. and Collins, M.S. (1981). Isolation and characterisation of a parvo-
virus from goslings. Veterinary Record, 108: 399-400.

RESUME
Persistance des anticorps vis-à-vis du parvovirus chez des oies
ayant survécu à la maladie de Derzsy
Les tests de neutralisation du virus et de précipitation en milieu gélosé ont été
utilisés pour déceler et mesurer les anticorps vis-à-vis du parvovirus chez des oies
qui avaient survécu à la maladie de Derzsy ainsi que des oies du même âge mises en
contact, dans les conditions du laboratoire. Des échantillons de sérums ont été
prélevés pendant une période de 80 mois et étudiés pour la présence d'anticorps
vis-à-vis du parvovirus. Entre 68 et 72 mois, les oeufs et la descendance ont été
testés pour la présence d'anticorps et la résistance à l'épreuve. Des niveaux élevés
et persistants d'anticorps ont été trouvés dans les sérums des oiseaux ayant survécu
à la maladie de Derzsy aini que dans leurs oeufs. Leur descendance était pleine-
ment résistante à une épreuve expérimentale. Les oies en contact sont restées
sérologiquement négatives et leur descendance était sensible au virus d'épreuve.
Ces résultats de laboratoire suggèrent que les oies qui ont survécu à la maladie de
Derzsy lorsqu'elles étaient jeunes oisons ne disséminent pas d'une manière per-
sistante le virus lorsqu'elles sont adultes.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
Persistenz von Antikörpern bei Gänsen, die die
Derzsy's Krankheit überlebt haben
Mit dem Virusneutralisations- (VN) und dem Agargelpraezipitations (AGP)-test
 330 R-E. Gough
wurden unter Laboratoriumsbedingungen Parvovirusantikörper bei Gänsen, die
die Derzsy's Krankheit überlebt hatten und bei empfänglichen gleichaltrigen Kon-
trolltieren nachgewiesen und gemessen. Während 80 Monaten wurden Serum-
proben gesammelt und auf Anwesenheit von Parvovirusantikörper untersucht.
Zwischen 69 und 72 Monaten wurden die Eier und die Nachkommenschaft sowohl
auf Anwesenheit von Antikörpern als auch auf Resistenz gegen eine Testinfektion
geprüft. In den Seren und in Eiern der Überlebenden der Derzsy's Krankheit
wurden hohe und persistierende Antikörpertiter nachgewiesen. Ihre Nachkommen-
schaft war vollständig resistent gegen eine experimentelle Testinfektion. Die Kon-
taktgänse blieben serologisch negativ und ihre Nachkommenschaft war für eine
Testinfektion empfänglich. Die Laboratoriumsergebnisse lassen vermuten, daß
Gänse, die im Kükenalter die Derzsy's Krankheit überlebt haben, das Virus als
Erwachsene nicht persistent ausscheiden.

RESUMEN
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Persistencia de anticuerpos contra parvovirus en gansos

sobrevivientes de la enfermedad de Derzsy
Las pruebas de virus neutralización (VN) y precipitación en agar (PA) fueron
empleadas para detectar y medir anticuerpos contra parvovirus en gansos que
habían sobrevivido un ataque de la enfermedad de Derzsy y de animales contacto
susceptibles de la misma edad mantenidos bajo condiciones de laboratorio. Las
muestras de suero fueron colectadas a lo largo de un período de 80 meses y estu-
diados buscando anticuerpos de contra parvovirus.
Entre 68 y 72 meses los huevos y la progenie fueron estudiados en busqueda de
anticuerpos y de la resistencia ante desafío. Altos y persistentes niveles de anti-
cuerpos fueron detectados en los sueros de los sobrevivientes a la enfermedad de
Derzsy así como en los huevos procedentes de dichos individuos. Su progenie
fué resistente completamente al desafio experimental. Los gansos contacto per-
manecieron serologicamente negativos y su progenie fue susceptible al desafío.
Estos hallazgos de laboratorio sugieren que los gansos que han sobrevivido un brote
de la enfermedad de Derzsy así como los gansitos no excretan el virus persistente-
mente como en el caso de los adultos.