Detection of infectious bursal disease viruses using in situ hybridization and non-radioactive probes.

The in situ hybridization assay was developed for the detection of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infections in chickens. Bursal tissue samples were harvested 4 days following infection with the ST-C, MD, E, IN, or SAL IBDV strain. The cDNA clones STC-243, located on genome segment A, and STC-119, located on genome segment B, were used to prepare non-radioactive probes. Probes were labeled with digoxigenin and detected the homologous ST-C virus and also heterologous viruses in bursal tissue sections. No positive cells were observed in tissue sections from uninfected control chickens.