Molecular and serologic characterization, pathogenicity, and protection studies with infectious bronchitis virus field isolates from California

In this study, we characterized three variant infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains isolated in 2003 and 2004 from broiler chickens in California and compared them to previously isolated California variant viruses and to common vaccine serotypes used in the United States. We conducted genetic, serologic, and pathogenicity studies on all three isolates, then tested different vaccines against one of the viruses. Genetically the three variant IBV strains, designated CA557/03, CA706/03, and CA1737/04, were not related to each other. GenBank BLAST database search and phylogenetic analysis of the hypervariable region of the S1 subunit of the spike gene to determine the most closely related viruses to the three variants showed the CA557/03 variant to be 81.8% similar to the CAV/CA56b/91 whereas the CA706/03 and CA1737/04 variant viruses were only distantly related to Dutch/D1466/81 (72.2%), a vaccine strain used in Europe, and Korea/K142/02 (72.7%), a Korean field isolate, respectively. Cross virus-neutralization testing showed that none of the 2003-04 California IBV variant viruses were serologically related to each other or to Ark, Conn, or Mass vaccine strains. In addition the CA1737/04 isolate was also tested against DE072 and found not to be serologically related. All three variant viruses were pathogenic in 1-wk-old broilers and vaccination with Mass/Conn followed by Holland/Conn provided 80% protection against the CA1737/04 virus. The 2003-04 California variant viruses were not compared with variants isolated in California during 1970s and 1980s because, to our knowledge, no genetic information is available and those viruses are no longer obtainable. This study shows that the CA557/03 virus was distantly related to the CAV-type viruses isolated in California in the early 1990s, but that none of the 2003-04 viruses were similar genetically or serologically to the CAL99-type viruses, indicating that new IBV variants continue to emerge and cause disease in commercial chickens in California.     

Protection afforded infectious bronchitis virus-vaccinated sentinel chickens raised in a commercial environment

The protective efficacy of three infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines for sentinel chickens raised with commercial Delmarva broiler chickens was evaluated during winter 1987. Specific-pathogen-free leghorn sentinel chickens were vaccinated with Massachusetts (Mass) alone, Mass and JMK, or Mass and Arkansas (Ark) combination live vaccines, or they remained unvaccinated. Four weeks post-vaccination, sentinels were placed on broiler farms at weekly intervals for 3 weeks corresponding to weeks 4, 5, and 6 of the broiler growing cycle. Vaccine efficacy was evaluated based on IBV reisolation attempts from tracheal swabbings following a 1-week field exposure period. Sentinel chickens vaccinated with Mass and Ark combination vaccine were best protected against IBV field challenge. Only four IBV isolations were made out of a 3-week total of 36 attempts, for an 11% isolation rate. IBV vaccines containing either Mass alone or Mass and JMK offered much lower levels of protection.     

Nephropathogenesis of chickens experimentally infected with various strains of infectious bronchitis virus

Four-day-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated by eyedrop with four different strains (Gray, JMK, CV56b, and Wolgemuth) of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Birds were monitored clinically and euthanatized at 1, 4, 7, and 14 days postinfection and tissues were collected for virus isolation, histopathologic examination, in situ hybridization (ISH), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Clinical disease was severe in chickens infected with Wolgemuth, but no overt disease was observed with the other strains. Virus was isolated from the kidneys of chickens infected with the Gray-, CV56b-, and Wolgemuth-strains of IBV. Histologically, interstitial nephritis was evident in chickens infected with these same 3 strains. However, viral nucleic acid and antigen were detected only with Wolgemuth-infected kidneys by ISH and IHC. These results indicate that the pathological changes in kidneys from chickens infected with Gray and CV56b may not have resulted from the cytolytic action of the virus.     

Reversion to virulence of chicken-passaged infectious bronchitis vaccine virus

Serial passage of two infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccine strains in chickens enhanced their capacity to increase the incidence and severity of Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) airsacculitis. Included in this report were the mild Massachusetts-type Connaught strain and the Arkansas 99 vaccine strain of IBV. The Connaught strain and one of two Ark 99 vaccine strains passaged in chickens increased the incidence of airsacculitis markedly compared with nonpassaged virus. The other Ark 99 vaccine virus already exacerbated MS airsacculitis, before passage in chickens, and its influence did not increase on passage. All IBV strains studied to date have either possessed this trait or reacquired it on passage in the natural host.     

Protection induced by infectious laryngotracheitis virus vaccines alone and combined with Newcastle disease virus and/or infectious bronchitis virus vaccines

Two types of live attenuated vaccines have been used worldwide for the control of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV): 1) chicken embryo origin (CEO) vaccines; and 2) tissue culture origin vaccines (TCO). However, the disease persists in spite of extensive use of vaccination, particularly in areas of intense broiler production. Among the factors that may influence the efficiency of ILTV live attenuated vaccines is a possible interference of Newcastle Disease virus (NDV) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines with the protection induced by ILTV vaccines. The protection induced by CEO and TCO vaccines was evaluated when administered at 14 days of age alone or in combination with the B1 type strain of NDV (B1) and/or the Arkansas (ARK) and Massachusetts (MASS) serotypes of IBV vaccines. Two weeks after vaccination (28 days of age), the chickens were challenged with a virulent ILTV field strain (63140 isolate, group V genotype). Protection was evaluated at 5 and 7 days postchallenge by scoring clinical signs and quantifying the challenge virus load in the trachea using real-time PCR (qPCR). In addition, the viral load of the vaccine viruses (ILTV, NDV, and IBV) was quantified 3 and 5 days postvaccination also using qPCR. The results of this study indicate that the NDV (B1) and IBV (ARK) vaccines and a multivalent vaccine constituted by NDV (B1) and IBV (ARK and MASS) did not interfere with the protection induced by the CEO ILTV vaccine. However, the NDV (BI) and the multivalent (B1/MASS/ARK) vaccines interfered with the protection induced by the TCO vaccine (P < 0.05). Either in combination or by themselves, the NDV and IBV vaccines decreased the tracheal replication of the TCO vaccine and the protection induced by this vaccine, since the ILTV-vaccinated and -challenged chickens displayed significantly more severe clinical signs and ILTV load (P < 0.05) than chickens vaccinated with the TCO vaccine alone. Although NDV and IBV challenges were not performed, the antibody responses elicited by NDV and/or the IBV vaccinations were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) when applied in combination with the CEO vaccine.     

Protective immunity to infectious bronchitis in broilers vaccinated against Marek's disease either in ovo or at hatch and against infectious bronchitis at hatch

Two experiments were conducted using commercial broiler chickens to determine if Marek's disease (MD) vaccines HVT/SB-1 and HVT plus CVI-988 given either in ovo or at hatch adversely affected the efficacy of infectious bronchitis (IB) vaccines (Ark and Mass serotypes) given by eyedrop on the day of hatch. Nonvaccinated negative controls and controls that received only IB vaccines were included in each study. Birds were challenged with either infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) Mass-41 or IBV Ark-99 on either day 26 or 27 of age. Protection was assessed 5 days post-IBV challenged by virus isolation from the trachea. The day of hatch mean antibody titer to IBV was 12,668 +/- 4704 and 2503 +/- 3243 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In each study, nonvaccinated controls had a significantly higher (P < or = 0.05) incidence (88%-100%) of IBV challenge virus isolation than did controls vaccinated for IB but not for MD. Analysis of data from both studies showed that protection to IB in groups that received only IB vaccines at hatch ranged from 55.0% to 77.3%, whereas protection to IB in groups receiving both MD and IB vaccines ranged from 50.0% to 95.5%. In both experiments and within IBV challenge serotype, broilers given MD vaccines (in ovo or at hatch) and IB vaccines at hatch had protection rates to IBV challenges that were not significantly less (P < or = 0.05) than IB protection rates of groups that received only IB vaccines at hatch. Analysis of these data shows that administration of high-titered MD vaccines either in ovo or at hatch did not affect the efficacy of an IB vaccination (serotypes Ark and Mass) given by eyedrop at hatch.     

Attenuation, safety, and efficacy of an infectious bronchitis virus GA98 serotype vaccine

In 1998, novel strains of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were identified in chickens from the southeastern United States and classified as a new serotype designated Georgia 98 (GA98). Because of the widespread nature of the GA98 virus in the southeastern United States and the lack of adequate protection with the DE072 vaccine, we developed a specific vaccine for the GA98 serotype. The GA98/0470/98 isolate of IBV was passaged in embryonating chicken eggs 70 times, and attenuation of the virus was determined in specific-pathogen-free chicks. Pass 70 of the GA98/0470/98 strain of IBV when given at 1 day of age by coarse spray and at 14 days of age in the drinking water at 1 x 10(4.5) 50% embryo infectious dose/bird protected against the homologous GA98 challenge as well as provided good protection against the DE072-type virus. In addition, the vaccine was shown to be adequately attenuated and safe at a 10x dosage.     

Efficacy of live virus vaccines against infectious laryngotracheitis assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism

The efficacy of four different commercial live vaccines (vaccines A, B, C, and D) against the infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) was assessed in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. SPF chickens were vaccinated intraocularly at 6 wk old with ILTV live vaccines and were challenged intratracheally with the N91B01 strain of virulent Korean ILTV 2 wk after vaccination. The immunity against ILTV live vaccines was assessed by the incidence of latent infection by the challenge virus in the chickens' tracheas and trigeminal ganglia, the reisolation rate of the challenge virus, and the clinical signs in the chickens challenged with the N91B01 strain of ILTV. The latent infection in chickens was assessed by nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Our data showed that the clinical signs and challenge virus isolation were negative in all chickens receiving four difference commercial ILTV live vaccines. The viral DNA of the vaccine strain, but not that of the challenge virus, was detected in chickens vaccinated with vaccine A by nested PCR-RFLP. The viral DNAs of both the vaccine and challenge strains were detected from chickens vaccinated with vaccines B, C, and D. This study showed that only vaccine A can protect chickens from latent infection with the field virulent ILTV. We speculate that the efficacy of infectious laryngotracheitis live vaccines to protect chickens from latent infection with virulent ILTVs can be assessed by nested PCR-RFLP analysis.     

Infectious bronchitis virus serotypes in poultry flocks in Jordan

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes respiratory disease in chickens all over the world. IBV has many serotypes that do not confer cross protection against each other. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test has been used to determine the serotypes of IBV as a substitute to the more laborious virus neutralization test and the more sophisticated restriction endonuclease digestion or sequencing of the S1 gene. In Jordan, no previous studies have been carried out to determine the involvement of IBV in respiratory disease in chickens, or the serotypes of IBV that possibly exist. In this study, serum from different chicken flocks (n = 20) that suffered from respiratory disease were tested for IBV antibodies using commercial IBV antibody ELISA at time of the initial signs of the respiratory disease and repeated on serum samples from the same flocks 10–14 days later. ELISA titer for IBV increased in 14 out of 20 flocks (70%) after 10–14 days of the initial signs of the respiratory disease and this indicates a recent exposure to IBV. The second serum samples from these 14 flocks were further examined against a panel of five IBV antigens (Ark, Conn, DE-072, JMK, and Mass) by HI test to determine the serotype(s) of IBV they have been exposed to. The HI test results indicated that the exposure of some of these flocks were to Ark, DE-072, and Mass like serotypes. However, the HI titers against the antigens used in this study were relatively similar in 10 out of the 14 flocks (71%) and the serotype of IBV that these flocks were exposed to could not be determined and the possible causes of this are discussed.     

Comparison of a tissue-culture virus-neutralization test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of antibodies t infectious bronchitis

Two serological tests, the virus-neutralization (VN) test in tissue culture using a tissue-cell-adapted virus and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), were compared to detect antibodies against Massachusetts 41 and Connecticut 46 strains of Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV). The VN test was conducted in wells of microplates by the usual procedure. The two strains of IBV were adapted after 20 serial passages to induce CPE in 24 hours in chickens embryos kidney cells (CEKC). The ELISA test was carried out using partially virus following ultracentrifugation of each stain of IBV as antigen. The ELISA test detected higher geometric mean antibody titers (GMT) against both strains of IBV than did the VN test. One hundred four serum samples taken at 1, 3, 5, 9, 22, 24, and 26 weeks of age from a flock of chickens vaccinated with the Mass strain three times and the Conn strain of IBV two times during the growing period showed higher antibody titer responses to the Conn 46 than to the Mass 41 strain. Maternal antibodies in chicks one week of age were readily detected by the ELISA test, whereas low or insignificant titers were found by the VN test. Sera of vaccinated chickens collected following challenge with Mass 41 or Conn 46 strain of IBV showed that the ELISA was more sensitive and showed higher titers than did the VN test. Although the VN test showed no rise in GMT in the same sera tested with the heterologous virus, the ELISA showed a slight increase or cross-reaction. The serum samples from the unchallenged control group showed no change in GMT with either test or IBV strain.     

Comparison of ciliary activity and virus recovery from tracheas of chickens and humoral immunity after inoculation with serotypes of avian infectious bronchitis virus

Cross-protection tests with homologous and heterologous serotypes of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were used to compare ciliary activity and virus recovery from tracheas of chickens. Validation of this technique included correlating the neutralization indices of antiserum obtained from some infected birds. Chickens were inoculated intratracheally with either the JMK or Connecticut (Conn) serotype of IBV. Three weeks later, infected and uninfected groups were challenged by the same route with homologous and heterologous virus. The JMK strain provided immunity against homologous challenge and the Conn strain, as indicated by good ciliary activity and lack of challenge virus recovery. The Conn strain provided only homologous protection, as ciliostasis occurred and virus was recovered after challenge with the JMK strain. In each case, antiserum to immunizing virus neutralized only the homologous virus. Controls were uniformly susceptible and lacked neutralizing antibody. A similar experiment with the Ark 99 serotype and a recent isolate (397) of IBV revealed complete cross-protection of the tracheas. Antiserum to each virus neutralized the homologous and heterologous virus in each case in reciprocal tests. The results indicate that these two viruses are closely related. The complete agreement between ciliary activity and virus isolation indicates that ciliary activity is a reliable, objective criterion upon which tracheal immunity can be judged in cross-protection tests.     

Effect of serial embryo passage of an Arkansas-type avian infectious bronchitis virus isolate on clinical response, virus recovery, and immunity

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) Arkansas-type DPI strain (Ark DPI) was attenuated by serial passage in chicken embryos. Virus of passage 50 was less pathogenic for day-old maternally immune broiler-type chickens than virus of passage 10 or 25 as determined by clinical response to vaccination, virus isolation in respiratory (trachea) and nonrespiratory (kidney and cloaca) tissues, and weight-gain studies. Chickens vaccinated with virus of passage 10, 25, or 50 were at least 80% resistant to homologous virus challenge of the upper respiratory tract 4 and 6 weeks postvaccination. Serum antibody production by passage-50-vaccinated chickens was comparatively low at 4 weeks but at 6 weeks was similar to that in chickens vaccinated with virus of passage 10 or 25.     

Serological profiles of commercial broiler breeders and their progeny. 1. Infectious bronchitis virus

Serum samples were collected from broiler breeders and their 1-day-old, 2-week-old, and 5-week-old progeny from different regions of the United States. Individual samples were tested by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) against six infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains: Massachusetts 41 (Mass), H52, Connecticut 46 (Conn), Arkansas 99, SE17, and JMK. The use of multiple strains to test broiler flocks resulted in the detection of seroconversions to Conn and JMK vaccination that were not detected with the IBV Mass HI test. Further, HI titers were detected to IBV strains not used for flock vaccination. In some cases, those titers could be due to cross reactions to antigens common to each of the virus strains. In two breeder flocks, the highest HI titers were to heterologous strains.     

Identification of recent infectious bronchitis virus isolates that are serologically different from current vaccine strains

Three 1986 infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) isolates were serotyped by a hemagglutination-inhibition method and were found to be serologically different from the seven strains currently used in regular and specially licensed vaccines in the United States (Mass 41, H52, H120, Conn 46, Fla 18288, JMK, and Ark 99) and from 13 other reference IBV strains. The recent isolates were from layer flocks that had histories of egg-production declines and shell-quality problems. Two of the isolates, one each from Maine and Ohio, were serologically related to a 1983 IBV isolate from layer replacements in Pennsylvania. The third isolate, from Korea, was serologically different from any of the reference strains and the other new isolates.     

Evaluation of the protection conferred by commercial vaccines and attenuated heterologous isolates in China against the CK/CH/LDL/97I strain of infectious bronchitis coronavirus

Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes tremendous economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Different serotypes of this virus show little cross-protection. The present study investigated the genotypic relationship between CK/CH/LDL/97I-type strains and reference IBVs based on S1 gene comparisons and the protection provided by vaccination with commercial vaccines and attenuated homologous and heterologous strains. Phylogenetic analysis and the comparison of S1 showed that CK/CH/LDL/97I-type virus might be a new serotype compared to vaccine strains and other types of IBV isolates in China. Protection efficacy was evaluated by morbidity, mortality, and virus re-isolation from the challenged chicks. Complete protection by IBV vaccination was provided by the homologous strain but sufficient respiratory protection was not provided by the commercial vaccines. Heterologous strains against CK/CH/LDL/97I challenge and the development of a vaccine against CK/CH/LDL/97I-type IBV will be necessary to control infectious bronchitis disease in poultry. Further development of the attenuated CK/CH/LDL/97I strain may provide a valuable contribution towards this goal.