Horizontal transmission of a pancreas-passaged avian encephalomyelitis virus in chicks

Pancreas-passaged avian encephalomyelitis (AE) virus was transmitted horizontally in a group of 40 (1-day-old) chicks within 3 weeks after they were intermingled with two orally infected 1-day-old chicks. Viral antigen was detected in the pancreas of these contact-exposed chicks. After 5 weeks, contact-exposed chicks developed high titers against AE virus, but the chicks did not develop clinical signs of AE. The passaged virus could not be recovered from feces of six immunized chicks.