Attenuation of avian infectious bronchitis virus by cold-adaptation.

Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) Arkansas-type DPI strain was passaged 10 times in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken embryos incubated at 28 C and 37 C. Virus grown at 28 C acquired cold-adapted (CA) and temperature-sensitive (TS) characteristics based on more-rapid growth at 28 C and a reduced ability to grown at 41 C, respectively, compared with non-cold-adapted (non-CA) virus grown at 37 C. The pathogenicity and immunogenicity were determined for CA and non-CA IBV in 1-day-old SPF chickens following intratracheal inoculation. The percentage of CA IBV-vaccinated chicks exhibiting respiratory disease exceeded 30% on only 1 day postinoculation (PI) (day 5 PI), compared with 8 days (days 2-9 PI) for birds given non-CA IBV. Mortality was 0% for CA IBV-vaccinated chickens and 6% for non-CA virus-vaccinated chickens. Microscopically, both CA and non-CA IBV caused diffuse tracheal deciliation, although mucosal hyperplasia, necrosis, and heterophil infiltration were more severe with non-CA IBV. Virus was reisolated from kidneys of chickens given CA IBV, suggesting the loss of the TS property. The instability of the TS property was confirmed by growth of the reisolated virus at 41 C. Both CA and non-CA viruses induced complete protection against homologous challenge virus infection of the upper respiratory tract.     

Induction of strong protection by vaccination with partially attenuated serotype 1 Marek's disease viruses

Studies were conducted to better understand the relationship among Marcek's disease (MD) vaccine strains between induction of protective immunity and the degree of attenuation (or virulence). To obtain viruses at different stages of attenuation, very virulent plus MD strains 584A and 648A and selected clones of these strains were serially passaged in chicken and duck cells. These viruses were considered fully attenuated after passage for 70-100 times in chicken embryo cell cultures until they no longer induced gross lesions in susceptible, maternal antibody-negative (ab-) chickens. Lower passages of the same strains were considered partially attenuated, provided their virulence was less than that of the parent strain. Four of five partially attenuated preparations derived from MD virus strains 584A and 648A or the previously attenuated Md11 strain induced 28%-62% higher levels of protection in maternal antibody-positive (ab+) chickens against virulent MD challenge than the fully attenuated counterpart viruses. The partially attenuated 584A/d2/3 strain replicated in chickens but was totally nonprotective. Data from two subsequent trials in ab+ chickens confirmed that protection induced by the partly attenuated (passage 80) preparations was 79% and 118% higher, respectively, than that induced by the fully attenuated (passage 100) preparations of strain 648A. However, in one trial with ab- chickens, no difference in protection between partially and fully attenuated virus was observed. Strong protection (up to 85%) against highly virulent challenge also was provided by preparations of 648A at passages 40-60, which were moderately oncogenic when used alone. Partially attenuated strains tended to replicate to higher titers in both ab+ and ab- chickens compared with fully attenuated vaccines. Also, ab+ and ab- chickens vaccinated with partially attenuated strains developed three- to nine fold more extensive microscopic lesions in peripheral nerves at 14 and 22 days after virulent challenge than chickens vaccinated with fully attenuated strains. When measured in ab+ chickens, loss of lesion induction by 648A was achieved 30 passages earlier (at passage 70) than when measured in ab- chickens. Thus, maternal antibodies appeared to abrogate the pathogenicity of some partially attenuated strains. These studies establish for MD the principle that at least some partially attenuated MD viruses may replicate better and induce stronger immunity against virulent challenge than fully attenuated preparations of the same strain, at least when tested in ab+ chickens. Moreover, depending on passage level, partially attenuated vaccine strains may be relatively innocuous for ab+ chickens, causing few or no lesions.     

Derivation,safety and efficacy of a Marek's disease vaccine developed from an Australian isolate of very virulent Marek's disease virus

OBJECTIVE: To develop a serotype 1 Marek's disease (MD) vaccine from a very virulent MDV (vvMDV) pathotype and demonstrate safety and efficacy against early challenge with very virulent field strains in the presence of maternal antibody. STUDY DESIGN: Strain BH 16 was isolated and attenuated by serial cell culture passage. One of two cloned passages was selected for vaccine development following early laboratory-scale protection trials in commercial birds. Comparative protection trials were carded out on the BH 16 vaccine and on a CVI 988 Rispens vaccine using commercial and SPF chickens. Challenge viruses used were either a low passage strain BH 16 virus, the Woodlands No. 1 strain or MPF 57 strain of MDV. The BH 16 vaccine was back-passaged in SPF chickens six times and virus recovered from the final passage and the original vaccine virus were tested for safety. The immunosuppressive potential of the BH 16 and Rispens vaccines was also assessed in parallel. RESULTS: The BH 16 and Rispens vaccines induced comparable levels of protection when used as monovalent or multivalent vaccines, although protection achieved with the monovalent vaccines was lower. No gross tumour formation was evident in any birds receiving the BH 16 vaccine or bird-passaged virus, although microscopic lesions were present in 2/12 birds that received the bird-passaged virus. In tests for immunosuppression, there was no histological evidence of damage to either the bursa of Fabricius or the thymus. CONCLUSION: The BH 16 vaccine was shown to be safe and at least as protective as the Rispens vaccine against three highly virulent MD challenge viruses.     

Increased virulence of modified-live infectious laryngotracheitis vaccine virus following bird-to-bird passage.

Modified-live (ML) infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) vaccine viruses, both tissue-culture-origin (TCO) and chicken-embryo-origin (CEO), were passaged 20 times in specific-pathogen-free chickens. After serial bird-to-bird passage, increased virulence was observed for CEO virus but not TCO virus. Increased mortality and increased severity and duration of respiratory disease were observed in chickens inoculated with chicken-passaged CEO viruses; only mild respiratory disease (no mortality) occurred in chickens inoculated with chicken-passaged TCO viruses. These findings suggest that ML ILT vaccine viruses may increase in virulence after bird-to-bird passage.     

Derivation, safety and efficacy of a Marek's disease vaccine developed from an Australian isolate of very virulent Marek's disease virus

Objective To develop a serotype 1 Marek's disease (MD) vaccine from a very virulent MDV (vvMDV) pathotype and demonstrate safety and efficacy against early challenge with very virulent field strains in the presence of maternal antibody.
Study design Strain BH 16 was isolated and attenuated by serial cell culture passage. One of two cloned passages was selected for vaccine development following early laboratory-scale protection trials in commercial birds. Comparative protection trials were carried out on the BH 16 vaccine and on a CVI 988 Rispens vaccine using commercial and SPF chickens. Challenge viruses used were either a low passage strain BH 16 virus, the Woodlands No. 1 strain or MPF 57 strain of MDV. The BH 16 vaccine was back-passaged in SPF chickens six times and virus recovered from the final passage and the original vaccine virus were tested for safety. The immunosuppressive potential of the BH 16 and Rispens vaccines was also assessed in parallel.
Results The BH 16 and Rispens vaccines induced comparable levels of protection when used as monovalent or multi-valent vaccines, although protection achieved with the mono-valent vaccines was lower. No gross tumour formation was evident in any birds receiving the BH 16 vaccine or bird-passaged virus, although microscopic lesions were present in 2/12 birds that received the bird-passaged virus. In tests for immunosuppression, there was no histological evidence of damage to either the bursa of Fabricius or the thymus.
Conclusion The BH 16 vaccine was shown to be safe and at least as protective as the Rispens vaccine against three highly virulent MD challenge viruses.     

表达鸡马立克氏病病毒gB基因重组鸡痘病毒的遗传稳定性及生物安全性评价

为了评价表达鸡马立克氏病病毒gB基因重组鸡痘病毒(rFPV-gB/R)的遗传稳定性,我们将纯化后的重组病毒在CEF单层上连续传30代,引起细胞病变的速度和形态均未发生明显变化;覆盖含X-Gal的琼脂引起的空斑均为蓝色;间接免疫荧光实验证明rFPV-gB/R中的gB基因始终能稳定表达;序列测定结果表明,重组病毒在细胞上连续传30代、在SPF鸡上连续传5代后,gB基因序列没有发生任何变化;以0、10、20、30代重组病毒制成冻干疫苗进行的实验室免疫效力实验表明,细胞连续传代后rFPV-gB/R仍然保持了原有的免疫原性。可见重组鸡痘病毒gB基因的结构和免疫原性都是高度稳定的。为了评价rFPV-gB/R的生物安全性,我们将rFPV-gB/R通过SPF鸡连续传5代,检测病毒在鸡体的存在部位及其消长、生长繁殖性能和毒力变化;将rFPV-gB/R免疫鸡与未免疫鸡同笼饲养,攻击FPV-102E6强毒,以检测rFPV-gB/R感染鸡的接触传染性。结果显示,rFPV-gB/R在鸡体的存在时间大约为7d,在体内仅存在于接种部位;鸡体传代后痘病毒毒力有一定程度下降,gB基因核苷酸序列未发生任何变化;同居未免疫SPF鸡在痘病毒强毒攻击后全部发痘,可见重组病毒免疫鸡没有接触传染性,能在鸡体内稳定地传代,rFPV-gB/R具有高度的生物安全性。     

ALV-J和REV诱导雏鸡胸腺细胞凋亡

应用原位末端标记法和HE染色法对人工感染J亚群禽白血病病毒(ALV-J)和禽网状内皮增生症病毒(REV)的SPF雏鸡胸腺细胞的凋亡情况进行了检测,同时辅以电镜超薄切片观察。结果表明,ALV-J和REV均可诱导雏鸡胸腺细胞发生凋亡,混合感染诱导的细胞凋亡更加严重;切片中可出现局灶状凋亡,凋亡细胞多于坏死细胞。研究结果表明,细胞凋亡是导致感染鸡胸腺萎缩的主要原因。     

A single dose of inactivated oil-emulsion bivalent H5N8/H5N1 vaccine protects chickens against the lethal challenge of both highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses

In this study, two highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 viruses were isolated from chicken and geese in 2018 and 2019 (Chicken/ME-2018 and Geese/Egypt/MG4/2019). The hemagglutinin and neuraminidase gene analyses revealed their close relatedness to the clade-2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses isolated from Egypt and Eurasian countries. A monovalent inactivated oil-emulsion vaccine containing a reassortant virus with HA gene of the Chicken/ME-2018/H5N8 strain and a bivalent vaccine containing same reassortant virus plus a previously generated reassortant H5N1 strain (CK/Eg/RG-173CAL/17). The safety of both vaccines was evaluated in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. To evaluate the efficacy of the prepared vaccines, 2-week-old SPF chickens were vaccinated with 0.5 mL of a vaccine formula containing 10⁸/EID₅₀ /dose from each strain via the subcutaneous route. Vaccinated birds were challenged with either wild-type HPAI-H5N8 or H5N1 viruses separately at 3 weeks post-vaccine. Results revealed that both vaccines induced protective hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody titers as early as 2 weeks PV (≥5.0 log₂). Vaccinated birds were protected clinically against both subtypes (100 % protection). HPAI-H5N1 virus shedding was significantly reduced in birds that were vaccinated with the bivalent vaccine; meanwhile, HPAI-H5N8 virus shedding was completely neutralized in both tracheal and cloacal swabs after 3 days post-infection in birds that had been vaccinated with either vaccine. In conclusion, the developed bivalent vaccine proved to be efficient in protecting chickens clinically and reduced virus shedding via the respiratory and digestive tracts. The applicability of the multivalent avian influenza vaccines further supported their value to facilitate vaccination programs in endemic countries.     

表达传染性喉气管炎病毒gB基因重组鸡痘病毒疫苗的遗传稳定性评价

为了检测表达鸡传染性喉气管炎病毒糖蛋白gB基因重组鸡痘病毒（rFPV-ILTVgB)的稳定性，我们对重组病毒进行6代和16代克隆纯化，对纯化后的病毒通过转瓶连续培养传20代，结果发现第6代纯化病毒（rFPV-ILTVgB-C6)在传代过程中有白斑出现，说明病毒纯度不够；经过16代纯化的病毒（rFPV-ILTVgB-C16)对细胞的嗜性加强，病毒的效价进一步升高，20代传代后蓝斑率仍然为100％，PCR的检测进一步证明插入的外源基因能在病毒的长期传代过程中稳定地遗传。抽取病毒细胞传代过程中的第5，10，15，20代次的病毒翅膀内侧无血管处皮下接种2周龄SPF鸡，20天后分为两组，分别用传染性喉气管炎病毒WG株和鸡痘病毒102株攻击，结果不同代次的重组病毒均可以使免疫鸡抵抗传染性喉气管炎病毒和鸡痘病毒强毒的攻击，鸡体内病毒传代试验表明，重组病毒在接种部位仅存在6天，之后就检测不到病毒，重组病毒通过SPF鸡连续传代，不存在病毒返祖的可能，由此可以得出一个结论：rFPV-ILTVgB在结构上和免疫原性上是稳定的，无论是在体外传代，还是在体内均可以稳定遗传，不存在因为接种重组疫苗而给免疫鸡群带来安全威胁的可能，完全可以作为疫苗毒株进行商品化开发。     

鸡传染性支气管炎肾型弱毒株J_9的安全性试验

以不同剂量 (10 3.3～ 10 5.5TOCID50 )IB肾型弱毒J9株 ,经眼、鼻途径接种 1～ 6 7日龄不同品种的鸡、接种后 2周内无任何临床不良反应 ,表明了J9株的临床安全性。将J9株用SPF雏鸡在负压隔离器内连续 7次传代 ,均无临床不良反应 ,并回收到病毒株 ,该毒株的临床安全性和遗传稳定性得到进一步证明。     

Natural infection and transmission of a retrovirus closely related to myeloblastosis-associated virus type 1 in egg-type chickens

Myeloblastosis-associated virus type 1 (MAV-1) is an exogenous avian retrovirus with oncogenic potential. MAV-1 was detected in young chicks hatching from eggs produced by an experimental genetic line of egg-type chickens. Transmissibility of MAV-1 had not been documented previously. This investigation was intended to partially characterize the virus involved and to study its transmissibility and oncogenicity in naturally and contact-infected chickens. Commercially produced white and brown layer pullets free of exogenous avian leukosis viruses were commingled at hatch with naturally MAV-1-infected chickens. The original MAV-1-infected chickens were discarded after approximately 8 wk, and the contact-exposed chickens were maintained in isolation for 36 wk. Young specific-pathogen-free (SPF) single comb white leghorn chickens were added to the group to study possible horizontal transmission of MAV-1 in young chickens. Upon weekly virus isolation attempts, MAV-1 was readily isolated from the contact-exposed white layers but not from the brown layers between 36 and 53 wk of age (18 wk in total). Three-week-old SPF chickens were readily infected with MAV-1 by contact as early as 1 wk postexposure. Throughout 22 hatches derived from the white and brown MAV-1-contact-exposed layers (between 36 and 53 wk of age), MAV-1 was frequently detected in the white layer progeny, whereas the virus was seldom isolated from the progeny produced by the brown layers during the same 18-wk period. MAV-1 induced a persistent infection in some of the SPF chickens that were exposed by contact at 3 wk of age. Gross tumors were not detected in any of the originally infected experimental chickens at 8 wk of age, in the contact-exposed brown or white layers at the termination of the study at 53 wks of age, or in the contact-exposed SPF chickens at the end of the study at 12 wk of age. Exogenous avian leukosis-related viruses may still be detected in egg-type chickens, emphasizing the importance of thorough screening before incorporation of experimental genetic material into commercial genetic lines of egg-type chickens.     

传染性法氏囊病病毒的分离与鉴定

从中国广东省发生传染性法氏囊病的鸡场分离了8株传染性囊病病毒(Infectious bursal disease virus,IBDV)毒株,运用RT-PCR对分离毒株进行了鉴定,测定了8个分离株的ELD50以及其对SPF鸡的致死率。结果表明:这8株分离毒对SPF鸡的致死率均等于或超过60%,属于超强毒。运用RT-PCR方法对分离毒株进行了鉴定并对各毒株VP2基因高变区进行扩增测序,分析结果表明:这8株分离株均为IBDV超强毒株,同时也说明当前在广东省引起鸡传染性法氏囊病的主要毒株类型多为超强毒IBDV。     

3株表达H5亚型AIV HA基因的重组鸡痘病毒的免疫效力比较

作者旨在探讨鸡痘病毒ORF073或ORF214基因缺失后,在母源抗体存在情况下对重组病毒免疫效力的影响。将构建好的在ORF073或ORF214基因插入H5亚型AIV HA基因的重组鸡痘病毒(rFPVLP-△73LRH5A、rFPVLP-△214LRH5A)及单表达H5亚型AIV HA基因的重组鸡痘病毒(rFPVLP-12LSH5A)分别免疫SPF鸡和商品鸡,检测重组疫苗诱导的免疫效力。结果:3种重组鸡痘病毒在SPF鸡产生较高的HI抗体效价及100%的免疫保护;在HI母源抗体效价为2.45的商品鸡体内基因缺失株重组病毒比rFPVLP-12LSH5A易于清除,抗体上升缓慢而且免疫28 d后HI抗体效价较低,免疫保护率低,分别为16.7%和23.3%;在母源HI抗体效价为0的商品鸡体内基因缺失株重组病毒免疫后产生的抗体效价高,免疫28 d后分别达到3.50和3.17。结果表明在商品鸡体内母源抗体影响下,缺失ORF073或ORF214基因的重组鸡痘病毒的免疫效力降低。     

一种鸡抗猪丁型冠状病毒阳性血清的制备方法

为研究能否用鸡制备出猪丁型冠状病毒(PDCoV)阳性血清。将PDCoV用BEI灭活制备抗原,抗原与矿物油佐剂乳化制备疫苗,疫苗多次免疫SPF鸡,采集血清,检测血清中和效价、将血清用于IFA检测PDCoV。血清中和效价随免疫次数增加逐渐增高,4免后14日的中和效价平均值为1300;中和效价1000左右的血清混合作为阳性血清,1000倍稀释可用于IFA检测PDCoV。实验说明,用鸡制备PDCoV阳性血清的方法成立,制备的阳性血清可用于中和实验、IFA检测PDCoV。     

Improved protection from velogenic Newcastle disease virus challenge following multiple immunizations with plasmid DNA encoding for F and HN genes

Specific-pathogen free (SPF) chickens were inoculated with the plasmid constructs encoding the fusion (F) and haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoproteins of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), either individually or in combination and challenged with velogenic NDV. The antibody level against NDV was measured using commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the first immunization regimen, SPF chickens inoculated twice with NDV-F or NDV-HN constructs elicited antibody responses 1 week after the second injection. However, the levels of the antibody were low and did not confer significant protection from the lethal challenge. In addition, administration of the plasmid constructs with Freund's adjuvant did not improve the level of protection. In the second immunization regimen, chickens inoculated twice with the plasmid constructs emulsified with Freund's adjuvant induced significant antibody titers after the third injection. Three out of nine (33.3%) chickens vaccinated with pEGFP-HN, five of ten (50.0%) chickens vaccinated with pEGFP-F and nine of ten (90.0%) chickens vaccinated with combined pEGFP-F and pEGFP-HN were protected from the challenge. No significant differences in the levels of protection were observed when the chickens were vaccinated with linearized pEGFP-F. The results suggested that more than two injections with both F and HN encoding plasmid DNA were required to induce higher level of antibodies for protection against velogenic NDV in chickens.     

Reduced serologic response to Newcastle disease virus in broiler chickens exposed to a Chinese field strain of subgroup J avian leukosis virus

In this study, a Chinese field strain of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J), NX0101, was studied for its immunosuppressive effects in both commercial broilers and SPF white Leghorn chickens infected at 1 day of age. Our data demonstrated that NX0101 induced much more significant body and immune organ weight loss in the infected commercial broiler chickens in an earlier age than that in the SPF white Leghorn chickens. At the same time antibody responses to vaccinations of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bursa disease virus (IBDV) in the NX0101-infected chickens were also evaluated and compared between the commercial broiler chickens and the SPF white Leghorn chickens. Compared with the control group of chickens, the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody response to NDV vaccines was significantly reduced in the NX0101-infected commercial broiler chickens from as early as 20 days after vaccination. However, no significant difference in HI antibody response was seen when HI titers reached their peaks in the NX0101-inoculated and control SPF white Leghorn chickens, except it declined significantly faster in infected birds. Neither of these two types of chickens showed significant decrease of antibody response to IBDV vaccination. Herein, we conclude that this NX0101 strain of ALV-J could selectively suppress humoral immune reactions to NDV, especially in broilers. But challenge experiments were not conducted and, therefore, it cannot be known if decreased antibody levels correlated with decreased protection against NDV in this case.     

Experimental infection with avian leukosis virus isolated from Marek's disease vaccines

Recently, avian leukosis virus (ALV) was isolated from four lots of Marek's disease vaccine produced by two laboratories. The ALVs isolated were characterized by examination of their interactions with cells of two phenotypes (C/E and C/A,E), subgroup-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), virus neutralization, envelope gene sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. All four ALVs are exogenous, belong to subgroup A, and appear to be virtually identical to each other based on PCR and envelope gene nucleotide sequences. We describe herein the characterization of the contaminant viruses in vivo by means of experimental infection in chickens. The contaminant viruses established transient viremia in specified pathogen-free (SPF) Leghorn chickens and elicited a robust and lasting antibody response detectable by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. None of the contaminant ALVs induced tumors up to 31 wk of age, and mortality was insignificant. Despite a strong antibody response against the contaminant ALVs, vertical (congenital) transmission to the progeny of experimentally infected SPF chickens took place, albeit at a very low rate (< or = 1.6%). Experimental infection in meat-type chicken embryos resulted in viremia at hatch, suggesting that some meat-type chickens are susceptible to infection and support virus replication.     

鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒弱毒株在鸡体连续传代后毒力增强的分子机理研究

将两株鸡传染性法氏囊病病毒（IBDV）弱毒株在SPF鸡体内连续传代至第5、第6代时,出现明显的法氏囊萎缩和B：B指数下降,表明IBDV弱毒株在鸡体内连续传代后毒力增强。为进一步阐释哪些基因位点导致了上述毒力的变化,本试验测定了基础弱毒株及其在鸡体内传代后各个代次毒的基因组序列,比对分析后发现VP2蛋白253位氨基酸发生了由H到Q或N的变异,表明VP2蛋白253位氨基酸的替换可能会增强传染性法氏囊病病毒在鸡体内的致病性。