Differences among restriction endonuclease DNA fingerprints of Pennsylvania field isolates, vaccine strains, and challenge strains of infectious laryngotracheitis virus

Restriction endonuclease fingerprints of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) DNA from 13 Pennsylvania field isolates, embryo-propagated and tissue culture-propagated vaccine strains, and three reference strains were compared. These comparisons were made to evaluate the possible contribution of mutation of ILTV vaccine strains to recent outbreaks of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in Pennsylvania. Six different restriction enzymes were used to generate the fingerprints. Differences in DNA banding patterns were revealed between the currently used ILTV vaccine strains and six of the 13 field isolates. Even greater DNA banding pattern differences were found between the older ILTV reference strains and the vaccine strains. The ILTV DNA fingerprints generated in the present study suggest that at least five different strains of ILTV have contributed to the outbreaks of ILT that have occurred since 1987 in Pennsylvania.