Excretion of SBDS-GPV in Infected Ducklings

Two-day-old mule ducklings were orally inoculated with short beak and dwarfism syndrome goose parvovirus (SBDS-GPV, strain M15) for this study. Swab samples from oropharynx and cloaca of the infected birds were collected after 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, and 21 days post infection (dPI) for the virus detection by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), virus isolation (VI), and immunofluorescence (IFA). As determined by qPCR, the excretion of SBDS-GPV through oropharynx occurred in 3-10 dPI, and cloaca, in 3-14 dPI. On the other hand, the VI and IFA tests indicated that the cloacal excretion happened in 5-10 dPI. The results, for the first time, demonstrated that SBDS-GPV could pass through both oropharynx and cloaca of a diseased duckling, and that the greater extent of the excretion took place via cloaca.