Attenuation, safety, and efficacy of a QX-like infectious bronchitis virus serotype vaccine

Avian infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious disease caused by avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which is a considerable economic threat to the poultry industry. QX-like IBV strains have increasingly emerged in China in recent years. Hence, development of a specific vaccine to guard against their potential threat is important. In this study, we sought to develop an attenuated vaccine strain. First, attenuated QX-like IBV strain SZ130 was created by continuous passage in chicken embryos for 130 generations, and then its safety was tested. We also evaluated the protective efficacy of different doses of SZ130 against challenge with QX-like IBV field strain SD in chickens. SZ130-infected birds did not experience IB-like signs and organ lesions. Additionally, an excellent protective effect of SZ130 vaccination was observed when vaccinated birds were challenged with SD, with no clinical signs or gross lesions, decreased target tissue replication rates, and lower ciliostasis scores in all immunized groups. These findings indicate that attenuated IBV strain SZ130 is highly safe in chicks and may serve as an effective vaccine against the threat posed by QX-like IBV strains.