Experimental reproduction of hypoglycemia-spiking mortality syndrome in broiler chickens with the use of homogenized brains containing arenaviruslike particles.

Severe hypoglycemia-spiking mortality syndrome was experimentally reproduced in broiler chicks. Inoculum was homogenized brains from 28-day-old commercial broiler chicks with central nervous system signs (50% [v/v] in phosphate-buffered saline with 2% fetal calf serum). Oral inoculations of 1.2 ml of the homogenate were given at 1 day of age to broiler chicks (n = 15). Fourteen days later, chicks were fasted and stressed with a 2-sec cool water spray. Six chicks (40%) developed clinical signs of spiking mortality syndrome and were severely hypoglycemic. Uninoculated control chicks (n = 15) from the same hatch, also fasted and stressed simultaneously, were unaffected. Examination of a banded fraction produced from the inoculum with the use of transmission electron microscopy with negative staining revealed viruslike particles indistinguishable from arenavirus particles stained and examined simultaneously. Avian encephalomyelitis virus was isolated by one of three laboratories attempting virus isolation with the use of embryonating chicken eggs.