Early migration pattern of Avibacterium paragallinarum in the nasal passage of experimentally infected chicken and Japanese quail by immunohistochemistry

ABSTRACTInfectious coryza (IC) is often a curse for poultry farmers when it occurs concurrently with several pathogens causing swollen head syndrome. The disease is caused by Avibacterium paragallinarum, which inflicts initial damage to the nasal and respiratory epithelium. This facilitates the progression of disease pathology across the nasal cavity, thereby providing a platform for multiplication of opportunistic microbes. In this study, we attempted to investigate the early entrance and migration pattern of A. paragallinarum in chicken and Japanese quail following experimental infection, by employing an in-house developed polyclonal antiserum against this pathogen. Antigenic-specificity of the raised antiserum was subsequently evaluated through immune-dot blot techniques and counter-current immunoelectrophoresis (CIE). The resultant antiserum characterized the antigen localization within formalin-fixed and partially decalcified nasal tissue sections though immunohistochemistry (IHC). Japanese quail sho...