To investigate the role of mice as potential carriers of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), three mice were inoculated with a very virulent strain of IBDV and allowed to have contact with three uninoculated mice. Faeces, intestine and pooled liver and spleen collected from inoculated mice 12 and 24 h post-inoculation were positive for IBDV by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-nested PCR (RT-PCR-nPCR). IBDV was detected by RT-PCR-nPCR in 3/3 samples of intestine and 2/3 samples of pooled liver and spleen from uninoculated in-contact mice at 24 h after exposure. Chickens developed clinical signs of IBD and died when inoculated with faecal extracts prepared from mice 24 h after inoculation with IBDV. Bursae were atrophied and positive for IBDV by RT-PCR-nPCR.
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