Isolation and identification of adenovirus 127, the causative agent of egg drop syndrome (EDS), from commercial laying hens in South Africa.

A drop in egg production associated with loss of pigment and soft-shelled eggs was experienced on a farm in the Western Cape. Investigations revealed high levels of antibodies against adenovirus 127, the causative agent of egg drop syndrome (EDS) in chickens which were not vaccinated against EDS. A cytopathic agent was subsequently isolated in chicken embryo liver cell cultures and identified as EDS virus by haemagglutination inhibition and neutralization tests.