Characterization of infectious laryngotracheitis viruses, antigenic comparison by kinetics of neutralization and immunization studies.

Five isolates of infectious laryngotracheitis virus were compared by pock formation on the chorioallantoic membrane of embryonated eggs, plaque size in chicken embryo kidney tissue culture, and antigenic relationship using reciprocal kinetics of neutralization. The A4557-5 strain of infectious laryngotracheitis virus, which causes mild respiratory disease, produced pocks with a zone of edema on the chorioallantoic membrane. A virulent virus (Virus 1), isolated from an outbreak of severe disease characterized by a diphtheritic laryngotracheitis, produced the largest plaques in chicken embryo kidney cell culture. Other virulent viruses (Viruses 2, 3 and V154) did not have unique growth characteristics when grown on the chorioallantoic membrane or in chicken embryo kidney cell culture. All viruses were closely related antigenically as shown by kinetics of neutralization but viruses 2 and 3 were not homogeneous with the other three viruses when neutralized by anti-V154 chicken serum. Following aerosol infection, chickens infected with the A4557-5 virus were immune to challenge with virulent V154 virus. However, in comparison to SA-2 virus, this virus was a less effective immunizing agent when administered by the vent or drinking water methods.