Comparison of two strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus for their interferon induction, viral growth and development of virus-neutralizing antibody in experimentally-infected chickens.

Two field strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus were tested in specific pathogen-free chickens for interferon induction, growth and stimulation of virus-neutralizing antibody. Both strains induced interferon in lungs and trachea and neither strain induced it in kidneys. Strain Kagoshima-34, isolated from the kidneys of a chicken that had died of nephrosis/nephritis, induced interferon earlier than Strain Tottori-2, which was isolated from the trachea of a chicken with respiratory disease. Virus growth was generally more prolonged with Kagoshima-34, especially in the kidneys, but Tottori-2 persisted longer in the lungs.