Resistance of Chicks to Infection with Influenza A Virus

Abstract

Summary

Virus was not recovered after hatching from chicks infected as embryos with the Melbourne strain of influenza A virus. This virus survived and increased in cultures of 18- or 20-day embryo lung and lung tissue from 2-day-old chicks at 37° C, but not in cultures of embryo or chick lung at 41°C. Virus was not recovered from embryos inoculated by the chorio-allantoic route and kept at 41°C. Virus was demonstrated in the lungs of 1-day-old chicks at 19 but not at 48 hours after inoculation in the nares. No neutralizing antibodies for the virus were detected in sera of chicks following such inoculation nor in the sera of normal chicks or adult chickens.