A new herpesvirus isolated from black storks (Ciconia nigra).

An infectious agent was isolated from livers, spleens and bone marrow of two black storks (Ciconia nigra L.) originating from the same source. Pathological lesions consisted of small whitish focal areas in livers, spleens and bone marrow. The isolated agent was sensitive to chloroform and its multiplication was inhibited by 5-iodine-2-deoxy-uridine. It passed filters with a pore diameter of 220 nm and greater but not 100 nm filters. Electron microscopic examination revealed numerous nucleocapsids with hollow capsomeres and few enveloped particles in the supernatant fluids of infected cultures. The nucleocapsids were calculated to have 162 capsomeres on their surface. Using the plaque reduction method for neutralisation tests no serological cross reactions could be detected between the stork herpesvirus and sera against Marek's disease virus, turkey herpesvirus, and the Lake Victoria cormorant, amazon parrot, eagle owl, and pigeon herpesviruses. It is concluded that the isolated virus is a member of the avian herpesvirus group and it is proposed to tentatively term it herpesvirus ciconiae (ciconia lat. stork).