The prevention of natural and experimental avian lymphoid leukosis with the androgen analogue mibolerone1

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Abstract
The development of lymphoid leukosis tumours induced by RAV‐1, RAV‐2, and field lymphoid leukosis viruses was prevented in chickens by feeding a diet containing the androgen analogue mibolerone (17β‐hydroxy‐7a, 17‐dimethylestr‐4‐en‐3‐one) at low levels during the first 7 weeks of life. Chickens fed mibolerone developed neutralising antibodies after inoculation with RAV‐1, RAV‐2, and after contact exposure to viraemic‐tolerant chickens. Mibolerone did not affect the immunological tolerance status of chickens which were viraemic when hatched. Moreover, mibolerone did not seem to change the pattern of shedding of lymphoid leukosis viruses or group specific antigen in unincubated chicken eggs from infected hens. Mibolerone, thus, prevents the development of lymphoid leukosis tumours without interfering with the cycle of infection of lymphoid leukosis viruses.