Infectious Bursal Disease Virus: Growth and Characterization in Cell Cultures

Abstract

The infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was adapted to chicken embryo bursal (CEB) and kidney (CEK) cells. The virus did not replicate in the kidney cells until 4 serial passages of the virus were made in bursal cells. The virus produced plaques in CEK cells in 3-5 days. The replication of the virus was unaltered by 5iodo-2'-deoxyuridine, indicating that it is a ribovirus. The infectivity of the virus was not destroyed with chloroform and was stable at 56 C for 90 min. The virus attached to the CEK cell monolayer maximally in 75 min and had an eclipse period of 9-10 hours before virus maturation and release. Immunofluorescent studies of infected