title: Pathogenicity and antigenicity of a new variant of Korean nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus.
abstract: Despite the existence of an active vaccination program, recently emerged strains of nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Korea have caused significant economic losses in the poultry industry. In this study, we assessed the pathogenic and antigenic characteristics of a K-IIb type field strain of IBV that emerged in Korea since 2003, such as Kr/Q43/06. Specific pathogen free 1-week-old chickens exhibited severe respiratory symptoms (dyspnea) and nephropathogenic lesions (swollen kidneys with nephritis and urate deposits) following challenge with the recent IBV field strain. The antigenic relatedness (R value), based on a calculated virus neutralization index, of the K-IIb type field strain and K-IIa type strain KM91 (isolated in 1991) was 30%, which indicated that the recent strain, Kr/Q43/06, is a new variant that is antigenically distinct from strain KM91. This report is the first to document the emergence of a new antigenic variant of nephropathogenic IBV in chicken from Korea.
authors.affiliation: Avian Diseases Division, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Anyang 430-757, Korea. choiks@nvrqs.go.kr
authors.forename: Kang Seuk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Eun Kyoung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Mi Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jun Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002645:Chickens; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D001351:Infectious bronchitis virus / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007723:Korea; D009393:Nephritis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral