ovalbumin and Viremia

Myeloblastosis-associated virus type 1 (MAV-1) is an exogenous avian retrovirus with oncogenic potential. MAV-1 was detected in young chicks hatching from eggs produced by an experimental genetic line of egg-type chickens. Transmissibility of MAV-1 had not been documented previously. This investigation was intended to partially characterize the virus involved and to study its transmissibility and oncogenicity in naturally and contact-infected chickens. Commercially produced white and brown layer pullets free of exogenous avian leukosis viruses were commingled at hatch with naturally MAV-1-infected chickens. The original MAV-1-infected chickens were discarded after approximately 8 wk, and the contact-exposed chickens were maintained in isolation for 36 wk. Young specific-pathogen-free (SPF) single comb white leghorn chickens were added to the group to study possible horizontal transmission of MAV-1 in young chickens. Upon weekly virus isolation attempts, MAV-1 was readily isolated from the contact-exposed white layers but not from the brown layers between 36 and 53 wk of age (18 wk in total). Three-week-old SPF chickens were readily infected with MAV-1 by contact as early as 1 wk postexposure. Throughout 22 hatches derived from the white and brown MAV-1-contact-exposed layers (between 36 and 53 wk of age), MAV-1 was frequently detected in the white layer progeny, whereas the virus was seldom isolated from the progeny produced by the brown layers during the same 18-wk period. MAV-1 induced a persistent infection in some of the SPF chickens that were exposed by contact at 3 wk of age. Gross tumors were not detected in any of the originally infected experimental chickens at 8 wk of age, in the contact-exposed brown or white layers at the termination of the study at 53 wks of age, or in the contact-exposed SPF chickens at the end of the study at 12 wk of age. Exogenous avian leukosis-related viruses may still be detected in egg-type chickens, emphasizing the importance of thorough screening before incorporation of experimental genetic material into commercial genetic lines of egg-type chickens.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Viral; Avian Leukosis; Avian Myeloblastosis Virus; Chickens; DNA, Viral; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Male; Ovalbumin; Phylogeny; Poultry Diseases; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Viremia

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting avian leukosis virus (ALV) antigens was developed with rabbit anti-ALV serum. The ELISA detected purified ALV of subgroups A and B at a concentration of 0.4 ng/well and about 10(3) infectious units/well estimated by a resistance-inducing factor (RIF) test, and antigens in culture fluids from chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with subgroups A, B or E of ALV. These results showed that common antigens among the subgroups were detected by the ELISA. When virus titration was performed, virus infectivity could be determined by the ELISA within 7 days after cultivation. The titer was similar to that obtained by the RIF test on 19 days after 3 subcultures. These results indicate that the ALV-isolation test by the ELISA was superior to the RIF test in rapidity and applicability to large-scale field trials. Four specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicken lines maintained in this laboratory were examined for endogenous ALV antigens by the ELISA. Sera from laying hens had considerably high absorbance (A) values, whereas albumen samples showed low A values except for some samples (7/40 hens). Although most of sera from 1-day-old SPF chicks showed lower A values than those from laying hens, some sera showed A values as high as those from viremic chicks in 2 lines. Endogenous ALV was isolated from sera from laying hens (6/40) and their albumens (4/7) with high A values. Two SPF chicken lines were found to produce endogenous virus at a high frequency.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Viral; Avian Leukosis; Avian Leukosis Virus; Cells, Cultured; Chick Embryo; Chickens; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Immune Sera; Ovalbumin; Predictive Value of Tests; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Viremia