Isolation and identification of Marek's disease virus by fluorescent antibody technique.

Cell-associated herpesvirus related to Marek's disease (MD) was isolated from the direct culture of kidney cells of naturally infected chickens at Taoyuan or by inoculation of clinical specimens to chick kidney (CK) and chick embryo fibroblast cells. The virus isolates replicated in CK or chick embryo kidney cell cultures were identified to be MD by the fluorescent-antibody technique.