Immunosuppressive effect of a highly virulent infectious bursal disease virus isolated in Japan

The immunosuppressive effect of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) on vaccination against Newcastle disease (ND) was compared among 2-, 3-, and 4-week-old chickens inoculated with the highly virulent IBDV field isolate 90-11 and the reference serotype 1 strain GBF-1. In all age groups, isolate 90-11 severely suppressed antibody response to ND vaccination and protective vaccinal immunity against ND. In contrast, chickens inoculated with strain GBF-1 and vaccinated with ND vaccine were well protected from the ND virus challenge. The mitogenic response to phytohemagglutinin of splenic lymphocytes from chickens inoculated with isolate 90-11 or strain GBF-1 was significantly lower than that of uninoculated controls. There was no difference between the two inoculated groups in responsiveness, although lymphocyte depletion in the thymus was more severe in chickens inoculated with isolate 90-11 than in chickens inoculated with strain GBF-1.