Pathomorphology observation of Newcastle disease in ostrich

Fifteen ostriches of different ages from Shandong and Henan provinces suspected to Newcastle disease had been systemically studied by necropsy,pathohistology observation and electron microscope.We found that the ill ostriches showed general bleeding,especially in digestive tract mucosa by necropsy.The main pathohistologic changes showed the bleeding of digestive tract mucosa,and degeneration,necrosis and shedding of cells,in combination with the changes of the granular degeneration of heart muscle fiber and epithelial cells of renal tubule,the congestion and bleeding of lung and spleen,the edema of pate,and necrosis of lymphoid tissue.We observed the typical paramyxovirus by the electron microscope which showed round,oval or fusiform,the diameter from 200 nm to 500 nm and having obvious apophysis.The results mentioned in above confirmed that the cause of death in ill ostriches was infected by Newcastle disease virus.