manual on the diagnosis of nipah virus infection in animals

epithelium, peribronchiolar and peribronchial infiltration oflymphocytes, exudation to the lumen of live and dead cells and otherdebris and single cell necrosis of columnar cells. Numerousneutrophils were seen within the alveoli and within bronchioles andbronchi. Syncytial cell formations were seen in the endothelial cellsof the blood vessels of the lung and within the alveolar spaces. In thebrain, some degree of meningitis, characterized by oedema andinfiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages, as well asvasculitis characterized by swollen vessel walls containing somemacrophages were observed.Immunohistology has shown a high concentration of the viralantigens in the endothelium of the blood vessels, particularly in thelungs. Evidence of viral antigens has also been seen in cellular debrisin the lumen of the upper respiratory tract (Hooper et al. 2001).ImmunohistochemistryImmunohistochemistry (IHC) is highly recommended for initialNipah virus diagnosis. It is one of the safest of tests as it isperformed on formalin-fixed tissues. Since the primary pathologyoccurs in the vascular endothelium, viral antigen can be detected in arange of tissues (see Appendix 4). Thus it is important that laboratorysubmissions include a wide range of tissues, and not just lungs.Nipah virus antigen has been detected in porcine meninges (but not33