Pathogenesis of infectious bursal disease in chickens infected with virus at various ages.
Chickens free from infectious bursal disease (IBD) maternal antibody were inoculated with a virulent strain of IBD virus at 1, 5, or 11 weeks of age. Chickens inoculated at 5 weeks developed severe clinical signs and had reduced levels of serum complement within 2-4 days postinoculation, but those inoculated at 1 or 11 weeks did not. However, at 1, 2, 4, and 8 days postinoculation, the rate of virus recovery from different tissues, severity of microscopic lesions, and frequency of detection of viral antigens in lymphoid organs of chickens inoculated at 5 weeks were comparable to those of chickens inoculated at 1 or 11 weeks of age. These findings suggest that age resistance to clinical manifestations of IBD is probably independent of the ability of virus to replicate and induce lesions in the host.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D007243:Infectious bursal disease virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000276:immunology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012088:Reoviridae Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014774:Virulence
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D003165:Complement System Proteins