Experimental Enteric Infection of Chickens with an Avian Adenovirus (Strain 93)

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Abstract
Summary The behavior of strain 93, an avian adenovirus, was studied in its natural host following oral inoculation. Infection was primarily confined to the gastrointestinal tract with the highest concentrations of virus occurring in the esophagus, the terminal ileum and the cecae. Following oral challenge of day-old chicks, cloacal excretion persisted for approximately 14 days and pharyngeal excretion for 10-14 days. Neutralizing antibody response was detectable at 6 weeks but not at 2 weeks post-challenge. Birds after recovery were refractory to secondary challenge regardless of antibody titer. Cloacal and pharyngeal excretion following primary challenge of 6- or 8-week-old birds persisted for 9-11 days. Neutralizing antibody response occurred during the second post-challenge week. Moderate levels of antibody induced by killed virus vaccine inhibited recovery of virus from the pharynx following primary challenge but had no effect on the duration of cloacal excretion. The development of hem-agglutination-inhibiting antibody paralleled that of neutralizing antibody but at lower titers.