Identification of a strain of infectious bursal disease virus isolated from mosquitoes.

The Becht strain of infectious bursal disease virus was compared with a virus isolated from Aedes vexans mosquitoes and designed 743 virus. The viruses were compared with respect to cell culture host range, cellular changes resulting from viral infections, growth curves, antigenic relationship, and physicochemical characteristics. The viruses are closely comparable in all these properties, and they are considered to be strains of the same virus. In cross comparisons by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 743 virus and infectious bursal disease virus were found to be antigenically identical, confirming the results of the neutralization test. The 743 virus differs from most strains of infectious bursal disease virus in that it is nonpathogenic for chickens.