Characterization of a velogenic Newcastle disease virus isolated from broilers in Saudi Arabia

A highly virulent Newcastle disease virus (SA84) was isolated from a large broiler operation in Saudi Arabia. The mean death time of chicken embryos given the minimum lethal dose, the pathogenicity of the isolate for 8-week-old chickens, the plaque characteristics, and the intracerebral pathogenicity index indicated that the isolate is of the viscerotropic velogenic pathotype.