Newcastle disease virus pathogenesis in the respiratory tract of local or systemic immunized chickens.

Establishment of selective immunity, local or systemic, made it possible to evaluate the pathogenesis of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in the respiratory tract of chickens that were previously immunized with beta-propiolactone-inactivated antigen. NDV was inoculated intranasally or intramuscularly to chickens in different states of immunity (local or systemic). Humoral antibodies protected chickens against intranasal as well as intramuscular infection. Local antibodies, on the other hand, conferred immunity only against intranasal challenge. The respiratory tract supported multiplication of the virus, producing a self-limited subclinical infection. Replication of the virus in this system was negligible, playing only a minor role in the pathogenesis of the disease.