Organ culture in avian virology: a review

A review has been made of the applications of organ culture techniques in studies with viruses associated with avian disease. After a brief historical introduction, the discussion has been confined to viruses which relate directly to disease in domestic poultry, and has not included viruses which primarily affect man and other animals. The literature reviewed concerns a number of the recognised families of viruses, including poxviridae, herpetoviridae, adenoviridae, orthomyxoviridae, paramyxoviridae, coronaviridae and retroviridae. Up to the present time most studies of avian viruses in organ cultures have been concerned principally with those of Newcastle disease and avian infectious bronchitis, but the potential scope for the technique in avian virology is discussed. It is both likely and desirable that organ culture techniques will be used to a greater extent as the advantages of differentiated cell systems for the study of avian viruses are increasingly appreciated.