Meeting Abstract
98.1 Monday, Jan. 6 13:30 Lipid digestion and absorption are impaired during an alphavirus infection in nestling birds GOTO, D*; RAINWATER, E; FASSBINDER-ORTH, C; Creighton University; Creighton University; Creighton University carolfassbinder-orth@creighton.edu
Nestling birds serve as reservoirs for several arthropod-borne diseases, especially arboviruses. However, few studies have investigated the effects of an arbovirus infection on nestlings during this critical period of development. Digestive function is an integral component of nestling development, and was measured by three parameters in this study: pancreatic lipase activity, digestive efficiency, and lipid content of excreta. Nestling house sparrows were inoculated at 7 days of age with an arthropod borne alphavirus called Buggy Creek virus (BCRV). Pancreas samples were collected from birds post mortem at 9, 10, and 11 days of age to be analyzed for lipase activity. Daily dry matter feed input and dry matter excreta output were measured, and the digestive efficiency of each bird was calculated during the experiment (from 5-11 days of age). Excreta samples were dried at 60 °C for 24 hours, followed by a lipid extraction using the Soxhlet side arm extractor and diethyl ether. Lipase activity and digestive efficiency were significantly lower for BCRV (lineage A)-infected birds post infection. Additionally, lipid content was higher in the excreta of BCRV-A infected birds post infection compared to controls, peaking at twice the amount of lipid found in control bird excreta at 4 days post infection. These results indicate that an alphavirus infection decreases digestive efficiency and lipid digestion and absorption in nestling birds. While the contribution of carbohydrate and protein digestion impairment to the decrease in digestive efficiency is unknown, it is likely that this severe decline in lipid digestion and absorption largely contributes to the decrease in digestive efficiency witnessed, and also to the poor body and tissue growth that has been recorded for BCRV-infected nestling birds.
