EXPERIMENTAL REPRODUCTION OF HYPOGLYCEMIA-SPIKING MORTALITY SYNDROME IN BROILER-CHICKENS WITH THE USE OF HOMOGENIZED BRAINS CONTAINING ARENAVIRUSLIKE PARTICLES

Severe hypoglycemia-spiking mortality syndrome was experimentally repr oduced in broiler chicks. Inoculum was homogenized brains from 28-day- old commercial broiler chicks with central nervous system signs (50% [ v/v] in phosphate-buffered saline with 2% fetal calf serum). Oral inoc ulations of 1.2 ml of the homogenate were given at 1 day of age to bro iler chicks (n = 15). Fourteen days later, chicks were fasted and stre ssed with a 2-sec cool water spray. Six chicks (40%) developed clinica l signs of spiking mortality syndrome and were severely hypoglycemic. Uninoculated control chicks (n = 15) from the same hatch, also fasted and stressed simultaneously, were unaffected. Examination of a banded fraction produced from the inoculum with the use of transmission elect ron microscopy with negative staining revealed viruslike particles ind istinguishable from arenavirus particles stained and examined simultan eously. Avian encephalomyelitis virus was isolated by one of three lab oratories attempting virus isolation with the use of embryonating chic ken eggs.