Some biological and physico-chemical properties of egg drop syndrome (EDS) avian adenovirus strain B8/78.

The EDS adenovirus produced either in the allantoic cavity of embryonated duck eggs (A0 virus) or in chicken embryo liver cell cultures (TC0 virus) were comparatively studied by gradient ultracentrifugation in CsCl. The A0 viral particles banded at densities of 1.36 and 1.31 g/ml, whereas, the TC0 viral particle were found at densities of 1.33 and 1.31 g/ml, respectively. The heavy populations contained infectious and hemagglutinating particles if they were not pelleted and sonicated before gradient ultracentrifugation. Pelleting or sonicating the viral particles resulted in loss of hemagglutinating activity of the heavy populations. The light particles were hemagglutinating but not infectious regardless of the previous treatment. The pH- and heat-sensitivity of the B8/78 virus strain was similar to those described for CEL0 (FAV-1) adenovirus (5). The B8/78 virus strain replicated well in tissue cultures of chicken and goose origin causing the formation of intranuclear inclusion bodies in the infected cells.