STUDY ON RECENT ISOLATES OF AVIAN ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS IN EGYPT

Abstract

Three viral agents were isolated from brains and internal organs of 5-7 days old chicks in Cairo governorate, suffering from feather abnormalities, tremor of head and neck and I or ataxia, incoordination and standing on hock joint, beside one isolate which was previously isolated by Dr. Madbouly from 7-12 days old diseased chicks at El­ Fayoum governorate.

- These 4 local isolates were subjected for inoculation and propagation in SPE ECE for 5 successive passages, the isolated viruses showed pathological lesions in embryos after egg inoculation via Y/S route in the form of curling, dwarfing, muscular dystrophy and paralysis, the hatched chicks from experimentally infected eggs showed ruffled feather, ataxia, tremors of head and neck and paralysis of legs, these signs were appeared at 21 days of age. These signs were more pronounced in reference strain and isolate NO. 1 which indicated that isolate No. 1 may be partially or completely egg adapted.