A comparison of gel diffusion, fluorescent antibody and virus isolation methods in experimental and natural cases of infectious bursal disease.

In studies with chicks inoculated with the Sk-1 strain of infectious bursal agent the bursa of Fabricius was found to be the tissue of choice for virus isolation as well as for use in the fluorescent antibody test and the agar gel diffusion test. In separate experiments positive results were obtained until postinoculation days 3 or 4 by the agar gel diffusion test, 5 or 6 by the fluorescent antibody test and 14 by the virus isolation method, respectively. Bursas from chickens involved in seven natural outbreaks of infectious bursal disease were then examined by these three methods. Virus was isolated from six outbreaks and infectious bursal agent antigen was demonstrated in three by the agar gel diffusion test method and seven (three by direct examination and four after one passage in chicks) by the fluorescent antibody test method. Passage in chicks was required when nonspecific fluorescence complicated the interpretation of fluorescent antibody test results.