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Abstract
Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) infection is associated with runting, mortality, immunosuppression, and chronic neoplasia with T and/or B cell lymphomas in a variety of avian species. The pathogenicity and transmission of a newly identified isolate from an Attwaters Prairie Chicken (APC-566) was studied using an experimental model in Japanese quail. REV infection was associated with higher mortality and decreased egg production, hatchability, and fertility in infected quail compared to uninfected quail. A deleterious effect on body weight gain was observed in infected breeder quail and their progeny. REV APC-566 was oncogenic in quail, chickens and turkeys and the majority of their REV-associated lymphosarcomas contained CD3+ cells. REV-infected turkeys expressed reduced serological responses against standard inactivated vaccine antigens. The complete proviral sequence of the REV APC-566 was determined. This isolate had higher similarity with a REV genome inserted into a Fowlpox virus. An immunosuppressive peptide region located within the envelope gene was 100% identical in all sixteen REV isolates sequenced, including viruses from wild and commercial birds.