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Reference Laboratory for Avian Viral Diseases of the subordinate to the Rosselkhoznadzor FGBI “Federal Centre for Animal Health” performs regular monitoring, evaluation and analysis of epidemic situation of some quarantine and economically important avian diseases. Avian leukosis is among diseases which can be referred to circulating diseases reported in poultry farms of Russia and the CIS countries.

Specialists of the Reference Laboratory for Avian Viral Diseases recover field isolates and study their immune and biological characteristics using contemporary methods of molecular genetics, virology, immunology, etc. for the purpose of development and implementation of effective domestic tools and techniques of infectious disease diagnosis. Microorganisms with more prominent useful characteristics (antigenicity, virulence, infectivity, organ and tissue tropism, etc.) are then deposited to the FGBI “ARRIAH” microorganism strain collection and used for scientific and production purposes. Avian virus leukosis strain, J ALV-J/CLB-908U, recovered in 2009 from broiler chickens of the parent population on one of the poultry farms of the Urals Federal District of Russia is the strain like the kind. For several years there have been conducted a comprehensive study of the recovered virus and in autumn, 2015 the specialists of the Reference Laboratory for Avian Viral Diseases deposited ALV – J/CLB-908U to the Collection after having performed commissioning tests. In the present time carried out scientific and research work is aimed at development of domestic ELISA test-system using this virus.

For reference. Leukosis/sarcoma group of diseases includes many transmissible benign and malignant diseases (tumors), caused by avian retroviruses (Retroviridae family). As a rule, the leukosis virus is divided in 6 subgroups (A, B, C, D, E, and J). J subgroup of avian leukosis virus causes myeloid leukemia as well as other myeloid disorders such as erythroblastosis and hemangiomas. ALV-J is reported in poultry farms all over the world as well as in the Russian Federation. Antibodies against ALV-J are periodically detected in chicken blood sera collected in poultry farms of different RF subjects. Treatment of avian retrovirus infections does not give considerable positive results and by today no effective vaccines against avian leukosis have been developed. Detection and removal of an infected bird from the flock still remains the main control method which requires improvement of diagnosis techniques.

Press Office of the FGBI ARRIAH