Serological response of chickens exposed to a type 1 avian adenovirus alone or in combination with the adeno-associated virus.

The avian adenoviruses (AV) are common infectious agents of poultry and other avian species throughout the world (1,4,8). Limited observations suggest that the adeno-associated virus (A-AV) coinfects many of the chickens that carry AV (8). The presence and persistence of these infections in a flock is often determined by serological methods. In the current study, the immune response of chickens to type 1 AV alone and to a dual exposure, AV plus A-AV, was followed over a 12-week period with a variety of serological tests. The study also determined the duration of the viral infections.