Isolation and identification of chicken infectious anemia virus in Brazil

Seven chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) isolates were obtained from seven broiler flocks with poor performance in two states of Brazil. All isolates induced thymus atrophy, bone-marrow aplasia, and low hematocrit values when inoculated into 1-day-old susceptible chicks. The CIAV isolates were resistant to treatment with chloroform and were able to pass through 50-nm-pore-size filters. CIAV-specific antigens could be demonstrated in tissues of experimentally infected chicks using a monoclonal antibody specific for CIAV. These characteristics of the virus and the virus-induced lesions demonstrate that CIAV is present in Brazil and that the virus is associated with production problems.