Serological relationship among ten strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus.

Ten strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were studied serologically by cross-neutralization test using rabbit and chicken immune sera. With the chicken sera all 10 IBV strains were antigenically related. In particular, anti-KH serum neutralized all heterologous strains except of the Ishida strain; Nerima strain was neutralized by all antisera except of anti-Ishida serum. Most cross-reactions were less or more heterologous, thus all 10 IBV strains seemed to belong to one serological type. Using rabbit sera, all strains except of Connecticut A-5968, cross-reacted with certain other strains. Most cross-reactions were partially heterologous showing one-way-relationship; heterologous relations were observed less frequently than with chicken sera.