Pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative disease virus in wild and domestic turkeys

Lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) is an oncogenic retrovirus first described in domestic turkeys in the 1970s. In 2009, a wild turkey from Arkansas with lymphoma was the first documented case of LPDV infection in North America and in wild turkeys. Widespread surveillance and diagnostic studies demonstrated high prevalence across the United States and Canada in apparently healthy and moribund wild turkeys. These surveys often overlap in regions with population decline, suggesting further investigation into LPDV pathogenesis is necessary to understand the its broad impact on wild turkey populations. This dissertation aimed to summarize available literature about LPDV infection in domestic and wild turkeys (chapter 1), fully characterize naturally occurring LPDV infection in wild turkeys (chapter 3), document disease manifestation, shedding patterns, and behavior changes of experimentally infected domestic (chapter 2) and wild turkeys (chapter 5), and develop practical diagnostic tools for veterinary pathologists. These studies lay the foundation to understanding LPDV pathogenesis to better inform biologists, veterinary pathologists, and wildlife managers in developing meaningful research, diagnostic protocols, and management guidelines to better preserve wild turkey populations for generations to come.