The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

Georgia Veterinary Scholar Program

2003 Scholars

Georgia Veterinary Scholar	Faculty Mentor	Faculty Mentor

Kristal Southern Tuskegee University Class of 2005	Dr. Corrie Brown	Dr. Maricarmen Garcia

Presence of infectious laryngotracheitis virus in chicken embryos, as detected by in situ hybridization

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is an avian alphaherpes virus that causes a respiratory tract infection in chickens, resulting in severe production losses due to mortality and/or decreased egg production. Clinical signs associated with the disease can range from high morbidity and mortality with very virulent strains to mild-to-inapparent infection with strains of low virulence. We developed a model of infection in the chick embryo, with capabilities of detecting tissues and cell type infected using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Embryos infected with five strains of infectious laryngotracheitis were harvested at varying time intervals postinoculation, and the sites of viral replication documented through the use of in situ hybridization using a riboprobe for ILTV mRNA. Cell types were determined using markers for cytokeratin and von Willebrand factor. The results highlighted distinct differences among the strains.