ISOLATION OF A HERPES‐TYPE VIRUS FROM CHICKENS WITH ACUTE MAREK'S DISEASE IN DENMARK

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Abstract
Isolation in vivo and in vitro of a strain of Marek's Disease virus (MDV) from chickens with acute Marek's Disease is described. In 6 in vivo transmission experiments the per cent of positive chickens varied between 71 per cent and 100 per cent. Between 15 per cent and 75 per cent of the positive chickens showed lymphoid tumours in different organs, chiefly the gonades. In cultures of primary chicken kidney cells foci of refractile cells were produced in four days and microplaques developed in 7 to 9 days. The cell‐propagated virus proved infectious and oncogenic for day‐old chickens, and infectious cell‐suspensions contained cells with herpes‐like virions in the nuclei.