PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

All APMV1 field strains (irrespective of the virulence of a ND virus for chickens) and all live vaccine ND viruses, following accidental instillation in humans, cause a painful conjunctivitis but not a keratitis. ND virus can be isolated from conjunctival swabs in the acute phase of the illness. The inflammatory response lasts for about 2 weeks and clinical resolution occurs without sequelae. The conjunc­tivitis is in almost all cases unilateral and the serum of affected patients is free of detectable antibodies. Lateral spread from human to human has not been reported to date.