Detection of four serotypes of avian adenovirus in New Zealand.

Twenty agents with adenovirus morphology were recovered from New Zealand domestic hens by means of chick kidney cell cultures. All the agents gave distinct cytopathic effects (CPE) in cell cultures, with two different types of CPE observed. On the basis of neutralization tests, the twenty agents were assigned to four distinct serological groups. Physicochemical tests on a "prototype" strain from each serological group confirmed that these agents are adenoviruses. The four prototype strains recovered in New Zealand are related to established overseas strains. One strain is serologically related to agents that cause IBH.