Effects of duck circovirus on immune function and secondary infection of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Duck circovirus (DuCV) infection occurs frequently in ducks in China and is generally believed to lead to immunosuppression and secondary infection, though there has been a lack of detailed research and direct evidence. In this study, one-day-old Cherry Valley ducklings were artificially infected with DuCV alone and co-infected with DuCV and Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). The immune indexes at 32 d old were systematically monitored, including immune organ weight, lymphocyte transformation rate, IL-10, IL-12, soluble CD4 (sCD4), soluble CD8 (sCD8), IFN-γ, viral loads in each organ, APEC colonization, and so on. The results showed the development of immune organs in ducklings was affected, resulting in a decrease in the lymphocyte transformation rate (LTR), IL-12, sCD4, sCD8, IFN-γ and an increase in IL-10 content at 8 to 32 d postinfection (dpi). In the detection of virus loads in some organs, it was found that 8 dpi, DuCV existed stably in various organs, suggesting the importance of preventing and controlling the virus in the early stage of culture. The results of exploring the DuCV infection that shows some influence on secondary infection by APEC. The results showed that DuCV infection could significantly enhance the pathogenicity of APEC and the colonization ability of APEC in vivo. DuCV can induce more serious APEC infection in 24 dpi than in 14 dpi. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that DuCV infection will affect the immune system, cause immunosuppression, and lead to more serious secondary infection.