Influence of infectious bronchitis strains and vaccines on the incidence of Mycoplasma synoviae airsacculitis.

A model system was used to study infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) interaction. The system involved exposure of chickens to IBV, followed by exposure to MS 2-5 days later. The chickens were subjected to a cold environment (10 +/- 2 C) for 3 weeks starting one day before MS exposure. Under these conditions, differences in the capacity of various strains of IBV to exacerbate MS airsacculitis was demonstrated. Exposure to IBV field isolates generally resulted in more air-sac lesions than did higher-egg-passaged laboratory strains and vaccine strains. Use of lower-egg-passaged vaccines resulted in a higher incidence of airsacculitis than did higher-egg-passaged vaccines. When chickens were IBV-vaccinated before being used in the model system, the incidence of airsacculitis was lowered, even though the chickens became infected by the challenge virus. Vaccination of MS-free chickens with IBV had no effect on airsacculitis incidence when MS exposure occurred after the vaccine reaction was past.