Differentiation of infectious bursal disease viruses directly from infected tissues with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies: evidence of a major antigenic shift in recent field isolates.

Two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MCAs), R63 and B69, were used in antigen-capture enzyme immunoassays to verify the presence of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) in infected bursal tissues. The intra-serotype-common neutralization site defined by the R63 MCA was present on all IBDV isolates and laboratory strains tested. However, the neutralization site defined by the B69 MCA was found on only classic or older IBDV strains; it was not found on recently isolated variants of IBDV or on a majority of recent field viruses examined. The data suggest that a major antigenic shift in IBDV has occurred in the field and that this shift involves, at a minimum, the deletion or alteration of one of two neutralization sites previously found on classic IBDV strains.