Pathogenicity and immunological relationship of quail and mynah poxviruses to fowl and pigeon poxviruses.

Specified-pathogen-free chickens inoculated with either quail or mynah poxvirus developed severe cutaneous lesions. The reaction was microscopically characterized as severe proliferative dermatitis with formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in epithelial cells. In cross-protection studies in chickens, quail and mynah poxviruses proved immunologically different from pigeon and fowl poxviruses. Quail pox and mynah poxviruses also proved unrelated. Protection against infection from quail or mynah poxvirus infection was attained only when the homologous virus was used as a vaccine.