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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1971 February; 21(2): 321-326
Copyright © 1971 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Pathological Response of the Chicken Embryo to an Agent Which Causes Acute Leukosis (Marek's Disease) ¹

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701

ABSTRACT

A laboratory test system specific for Marek's disease was developed by using the pathological response of the chicken embryo. Chicken epidermal scales (dander) and feather calami from infected chickens contain an agent(s) which after a 3- to 4-day incubation period caused gross or microscopic pathological changes (or both) in the embryo. A cell-free inoculum was obtained from infectious dander by 5-min sonic treatment, differential centrifugation, and membrane filtering (0.45 µm). Evidence for the cell-free existence of this agent(s) was obtained when membrane filtrates of dander preparations were shown to cause Marek's disease in 10-day-old chickens and in chickens inoculated at 1 day of age.

² Present address: Department of Virology, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, The University of Texas, Houston, Tex. 77025.

¹ Published with the approval of the director of the Arkansas Agriculture Experiment Station, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701. Presented at the 50th Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases, Chicago, Ill., 1-2 Dec. 1969.