Australian infectious bronchitis viruses: identification of nine subtypes by a neutralisation test

The antigenic relationships between 17 Australian infectious bronchitis viruses, including six vaccine viruses, were studied by a neutralisation test using a plaque reduction method in chick embryo kidney cell monolayers. The 17 viruses formed nine distinct subtypes. Antiserum to each subtype had a high titre to viruses of the same subtype and a lower titre to viruses of different subtypes. The heterologous titres of sera varied widely.