Abstract
The nucleic acid of the Van Roekel strain of avian encephalomyelitis virus (AEV) was determined to be RNA, according to the inability of the nucleoside analog 5-bromo 2'-deoxyuridine (BUdR) to inhibit its growth in chicken embryo kidney cell cultures. The test was carried out using known DNA and RNA viruses as controls, and the results are consistent with classification of AEV as a member of the family Picornaviridae within the genus Enterovirus.