Propagation of Chandipura virus in chick embryos.

Stocks of three Indian Chandipura virus (CHPV) isolates; one isolate from an adult febrile case in 1965 from Chandipura town, Maharashtra, and two isolates from two pediatric encephalitis cases from Andhra Pradesh, 2003 were inoculated in 10-day-old chick embryos by allantoic route. All three virus isolates replicated in chick embryos showing titre of log 10(12) to log 10(13) EID50. The results demonstrated that chick embryos are susceptible to CHPV and virus grows to high titres in this system. Therefore chick embryos can be used as an alternative host system for cultivation and isolation of CHPV as they are less expensive than laboratory animals and have several other advantages over cell cultures. Also this system can be used for the development of vaccine and diagnostic reagents.