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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Influenza Virus Propagation in Embryonated Chicken Eggs
Published on: March 19, 2015
Decreased egg production in turkeys experimentally infected with eastern equine encephalitis virus or Highlands J
J S Guy1, H J Barnes, M D Ficken
1Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606.
Abstract:
Turkey breeder hens were experimentally infected with strains of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus or Highlands J (HJ) virus previously isolated from turkey hens experiencing decreased egg production. Depression and inappetance were observed on day 1 postexposure (PE) in hens inoculated with either EEE virus or HJ virus, and egg production fell in each virus-inoculated group from approximately 75% to less than 20% within 2-3 days PE. Egg production remained depressed (less than 20%) for 15 days in EEE-virus-inoculated hens and for 7 days in HJ-virus-inoculated hens. EEE virus and HJ virus were recovered from various tissues on days 1-5 PE, and virus was detected in eggs laid on days 2-5 PE. The findings of this study confirm that EEE virus and HJ virus are potential causes of decreased egg production in turkey breeder hens.
