Effect of cell-culture passage on the pathogenicity and immunogenicity of two variant strains of infectious bursal disease virus.

Two variant strains of infectious bursal disease virus, IN and E, were adapted and passaged in an established cell line (BGM-70) 30 times and 40 times, respectively. Passage in cell culture resulted in loss of pathogenicity. However, both viruses maintained their antigenicity and immunogenicity, as demonstrated by the immunofluorescence and virus-neutralization tests and by the satisfactory protection induced by vaccinating specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens with inactivated preparations of both passaged viruses. No protection was induced when the passaged viruses were given to SPF chickens as live vaccines. It is speculated that the passaged viruses might have lost some ability to replicate in their natural host, resulting in lack of protection.