Pathological and immunohistochemical investigation in diagnosis of natural Peste des petits ruminants.

This study describes the necropsy, histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings of the characteristic and non-characteristic PPR cases. For this purpose, thirty two animals from eighteen natural of outbreaks of PPR in Aydın and around Aydın province were examined.At necropsy, the animals with erosive and ulcerative lesions were considered to have characteristic, whereas the animals with no oral lesions were evaluated as a noncharacteristic. Characteristic findings were detected in 53 % of the animals, and noncharecteristic lesions were observed in 47 % of the animals. Histopathologically, the pathognomonic findings of the PPR (syncytial cells and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies) in the digestive tract and lung were found in low rates. In the oral mucosae, syncytial cells rates and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were found 53 % and 35 % in characteristic cases, respectively. In the noncharacteristic cases, rates of syncytial cells and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were found 29 % and 20 % respectively. Immunohistochemically, viral antigen was determined in the macrophages, reticulum cells and, to a lesser extend, lymphocytes in the lymphoid tissues. Strong immunolabelling of viral antigen were found infiltrated macrophages and epithelium of the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles. In the digestive tract, positive reactions were particularly observed in the infiltrated mononuclear cells and epithelial cells of the oral mucosae, to a lesser extend, in the epithelial cells of the villus and crypts.Key words: Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, goat, sheep, small ruminant plague (Peste des Petits Ruminants; PPR)In conclusion, the necropsy and histopathological findings of the each cases were not spesific for the diagnosis of the PPR and, thus immunohistochemistry in such cases clarified the definitive diagnosis in the outbreaks of the PPR in Aydın and around Aydın province.