IBDV protein that dampens poultry immune response could inform vaccine development
Work carried out by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has revealed that differences in virulence between strains of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) may be partly down to changes in a viral protein called VP4. Their findings could help us to understand why very virulent (vv) strains cause high mortality rates in some commercial poultry flocks and could also be used to inform vaccine research and surveillance efforts.