Hemagglutination by psittacine beak and feather disease virus and use of hemagglutination inhibition for detection of antibodies against the virus.

Conditions for psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) virus hemagglutination and hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test reactions are defined. The PBFD virus was found to hemagglutinate cockatoo and some guinea pig erythrocytes. The HI test was used to assay serum antibody titer in birds with active PBFD virus infections and in others that had been exposed to diseased birds. On the basis of HI antibody titers in psittacine birds that had been exposed to PBFD virus, but remained clinically normal, we suggest that some birds exposed to the virus are able to mount an effective immune response. Birds with active PBFD virus infections had lower antibody values than did birds that had been exposed to the virus, but remained clinically normal. On the basis of these findings, the ability to develop a suitable HI antibody response may be crucial in determining the disease status of susceptible birds exposed to the PBFD virus. If HI antibodies are found to have neutralizing activity, then the fact that a high HI titer was induced in birds inoculated with purified PBFD virus might suggest that an immunization program would be effective in preventing PBFD virus infections.