Isolation of an apathogenic immunogenic strain of duck enteritis virus from waterfowl in California.

A herpesvirus isolated from waterfowl dying of duck enteritis (DE) was tentatively designated the Sheridan-83. It was serologically related to the original Holland and Lake Andes (LA) strains of duck enteritis viruses (DEV). Other biological characteristics indicated that the Sheridan-83 was more closely related to the Holland strain than to the LA virus. The Sheridan-83 was nonpathogenic to ducks, and ducks inoculated with this virus developed resistance to challenge with the virulent strain LA.