RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Su, Qi A1 Li, Yang A1 Cui, Zhizhong A1 Chang, Shuang A1 Zhao, PengYR 2018 T1 The experimental transmission of reticuloendotheliosis virus by cock semen JF Journal of General Virology, VO 99 IS 2 SP 253 OP 257 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000993 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Following artificial insemination, the egg-laying rate of a large-scale breeder chicken flock declined by10–15 %. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis detected the presence of reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) in semen from the breeder cocks used. Six REV strains were successfully isolated from semen randomly extracted from those cocks. Additionally, the whole sequence of SDAUR-S1 was sequenced and analysed. Cock models with continuous production of REV-positive semen were established by intravenous injection with SDAUR-S1. Eggs were then collected from hens after artificial insemination with REV-positive semen, for virus detection. The positive REV antibody rate for egg albumen was 58.3 % and the REV-positive rate for hatched embryos was 8.3 %, which suggested not only that REV can infect cock semen, but can also infect the offspring. In conclusion, the present study is the first to report on the isolation, genome analysis and transmission of REV in cock semen., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.000993