Chicken anaemia virus (CAV) is a small, naked, icosahedral virus with an SS-DNA genome of 2.3 kb. The virus infects very young chicks (vertically by transovarial transmission) and causes anaemia, immunosuppression and skin lesions (CAV syndrome). The virus also infects older birds (by horizontal transmission) with no apparent signs of infection, although growth may be affected. In Australia the CAV syndrome is currently controlled by exposure of breeding stock to wild-type virus (no attenuated virus is available). The authors are currently investigating CAV-specified proteins and an attenuated virus vaccine and developing an ELISA for antibody detection with the Division of Animal Health, CSIRO.
