Abstract: Provided herein are modified infectious largotracheitis viruses (ILTVs) and methods of using the same. For example, provided are attenuated ILTVs. The attenuated ILTVs can be used to illicit immune responses in avian species. Optionally, the attenuated ILTVs can be used to vaccinate an avian subject or a population of avian subjects. Optionally, an attenuated ILTV is administered in ovo to an avian egg. One or more such in ovo administration can be used to increase the immunity of an avian herd.

Abstract: The present invention presents a Reverse Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RRFLP) method for the detection of the presence of an informative restriction enzyme site in a nucleotide sequence. The method includes digesting a sample with the informative restriction enzyme; performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the digested sample with an oligonucleotide primer pair that flanks the informative restriction enzyme site; determining the Ct value of the sample; comparing the Ct value of the sample to the Ct value from a control sample; and calculating a ?Ct value, wherein a ?Ct value is the Ct value of the sample minus the Ct value of a control; and wherein a ?Ct value ?+1 indicates that the informative restriction enzyme sites is present in the nucleotide sequence. The present invention includes the application of the RRFLP method for detection of the infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV).