Oligonucleotide fingerprinting of ribonucleic acids of infectious bronchitis virus strains

A total of 11 distinct oligonucleotide fingerprints were obtained in studies of the ribonucleic acids of 13 isolates of infectious bronchitis virus. Different serotypes had distinct fingerprints, but so did varieties within a serotype, allowing a greater degree of strain differentiation than was previously possible. Some conclusions can be drawn from the fingerprints concerning theories of origin and spread of infectious bronchitis virus.