In 2015, novel duck-origin goose parvovirus-related parvovirus (N-GPV) infection progressively appeared in commercial Cherry Valley duck flocks in North China. Diseased ducks were observed to have beak atrophy and dwarfism syndrome (BADS). A previous study showed that a high seropositive rate for N-GPV indicated a latent infection in most breeder duck flocks. To investigate this possibility in hatching eggs collected from N-GPV-infected breeder ducks, 120 eggs were collected at various stages of embryonic development for viral DNA detection and an N-GPV-specific antibody test. N-GPV DNA was present in nine hatching eggs, eleven duck embryo and eight newly hatched ducklings. Of the newly hatched ducklings, 58.33% (21/36) were seropositive. Further, two isolates were obtained from a 12-day-old duck embryo and a newly hatched duckling. N-GPV infection did not reduce the fertilization rate and hatchability. These results indicate possible vertical transmission of N-GPV and suggest that it may be transmitted from breeder ducks to ducklings in ovo.
Keywords: duck embryo; iELISA; novel GPV-related parvovirus; vertical transmission.
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