Persistent viraemia of a cell-associated herpesvirus in white storks (Ciconia ciconia).

Heparinised blood samples from white storks were assayed for the presence of stork herpesvirus in peripheral leukocytes and neutralising antibodies in blood plasma against stork herpesvirus during a 3 year period. A total of 12 herpesvirus isolants were obtained. The presence of neutralising circulating antibodies does not preclude viraemia. Most of the infectivity of the isolated viruses remained cell-associated in chicken embryo fibroblast and chick kidney cell cultures.