Identification and characterization of an avian reovirus isolated from black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris).

An isolated virus from the feces of nestlings of Black-tailed gulls living on the Kabu-Island, Hachinohe-city, Aomori-prefecture, was identified as an avian reovirus from its morphological, physicochemical and biological features. Serologically, the isolate has a 62% of relatedness to TS-17 strain, a prototype of avian reovirus in Japan. The isolate showed no significant virulences to one-day-old SPF chickens, and showed low mortalities to chicken embryos, although it formed remarkable lesion onto chorioallantoic membrane.