Some observations on the isolation and cultivation of avian reoviruses

Abstract

For the cultivation of avian reoviruses a comparison was made of cell cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts, lungs, liver, kidney and chicken kidney and fertile eggs inoculated via the yolk sac, chorioallantoic membrane or allantoic cavity. Chick embryo liver was found to be the most sensitive cell culture method and the yolk sac the best inoculation route for eggs. Chicken kidney cells were second to embryonic liver cells, but peak titres of cell‐bound and cell‐free virus occurred later than in chick embryo liver. Using the plaque technique, minimal adsorption times for reovirus in embryonic liver and chicken kidney cells were found to be 30 and 45 min respectively. Plaques produced by six different strains of reovirus in embryonic liver cells were larger and appeared sooner than in chicken kidney cells.