Witter R L, Johnson D C
Avian Dis. 1985 Oct-Dec;29(4):1140-54.
Six broiler breeder flocks from two companies in Mississippi were tested at intervals for reticuloendotheliosis (RE) virus infection. Virus was isolated and antibody demonstrated in all six flocks. Infection was first detected at ages ranging from 13 to 47 weeks. Studies showed that neither congenital transmission from grandparent flocks nor treatment with contaminated vaccines was a likely source of infection; thus, exposure to RE virus was assumed to come from the environment. Virus was isolated from litter samples from two of the flocks, but no specific environmental infection source was identified. Infection rates of flocks differed between the two companies. Although adequate controls were lacking, no performance problems due to RE virus infection were apparent in breeder or broiler progeny flocks. However, the RE viruses isolated from these flocks were immunosuppressive and oncogenic when inoculated into day-old chicks. A moderate (3-16%) incidence of neoplasms was induced by contact exposure to these field isolates in the laboratory.
对来自密西西比州两家公司的六个肉种鸡群定期进行了网状内皮组织增生症（RE）病毒感染检测。在所有六个鸡群中均分离出病毒并检测到抗体。感染最早在13至47周龄时被检测到。研究表明，祖代鸡群的先天性传播以及受污染疫苗的使用都不太可能是感染源；因此，推测RE病毒暴露来自环境。从其中两个鸡群的垫料样本中分离出了病毒，但未确定具体的环境感染源。两家公司鸡群的感染率有所不同。尽管缺乏充分的对照，但在种鸡或肉鸡后代鸡群中，未发现因RE病毒感染而导致的生产性能问题。然而，从这些鸡群中分离出的RE病毒接种到一日龄雏鸡后具有免疫抑制和致癌性。在实验室中，通过接触这些田间分离株诱发了中度（3-16%）的肿瘤发病率。
