Isolation of Avian Pneumovirus from an Outbreak of Respiratory Illness in Minnesota Turkeys

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Abstract
Antibodies to avian pneumovirus (APV) were first detected in Minnesota turkeys in 1997. Virus isolation was attempted on 32 samples (28 tracheal swabs, 4 pools of trachea and turbinates) that were positive for APV by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The cell cultures used were chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF), Vero cells, and QT-35 cells. Five virus isolates were obtained from these samples, and the identity of the isolates was confirmed by RT-PCR. Four isolates were obtained by inoculation of CEF cells, and 1 isolate was obtained in QT-35 cells after 3–7 blind passages in cell cultures. Vero cells did not yield any isolate on primary isolation; however, all 5 isolates could be adapted to grow in Vero cells following primary isolation in CEF or QT-35 cells. This is the first report of isolation of APV in Minnesota and also the first report of primary isolation of APV in QT-35 cells.