Pathological studies by light and electron microscope were carried out on the twenty piglets naturally affected by encephalomyocarditis virus infection.
Gross findings included pale or yellow, small necrotic fcci on myocardium, together with pulmonary edema and liver congestion in some cases.
On light microscopy, nonsuppurative interstitial endocarcitis, epicarditis and myocarditis, myocardial infarction, and dystrophic calcification or fibtosis were observed in heart. Perivascular cuffings, gliosis and nonsuppurative meningitis were appeared in brain. Focal or diffuse necrosis with mononuclear cell infiltration in lacrimal gland and multifocal necrosis in liver were observed in some cases. Congestion and edema of lung, hyperemia, hemorrhage and deletion of lymphocytes of lymph nodes and spleen were recognized.
On electron microscopy, severe swelling and vacuolization of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum, large intracellular vacuolation and edema, separation and fragmentation of myofibrils were observed. Virus particles were seen in the sarcoplasm of degenerated cardiac muscle cell.
|