An outbreak of nephropathogenic H13 infectious bronchitis in commercial broilers.

A nephropathogenic Massachusetts strain of infectious bronchitis virus, designated H13-IB virus, was isolated from the kidneys of broilers in a commercial flock. Respiratory distress, diarrhea, depression, and high mortality were present. Gross renal lesions consisted of pale coloration, mottling, urate deposition, and swelling. The trachea contained a serous to catarrhal exudate. Microscopically, renal changes were primarily associated with the medullary region. Lesions included an interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration, urate deposition, edema, and degenerative and necrotic tubular changes. Tracheal changes included marked thickening of the mucosa, desquamation of ciliated and glandular epithelia and replacement with a stratified undifferentiated epithelium, and inflammatory cell infiltration.