Embryonated egg inoculation is a method used to culture which type of pathogens?

• A. Bacteria
• B. Fungi
• C. Plant viruses
• D. Animal viruses

Answer: (D)

Embryonated eggs are used for growing viruses because viruses need living host cells to replicate. The developing chick embryo provides a natural, nutrient-rich environment with multiple tissue compartments (amniotic, allantoic, yolk sac) that support viral replication. This makes the system particularly suitable for propagating animal viruses—a classic example being influenza, where the virus is inoculated into the allantoic cavity to yield high-titer material for vaccines. Bacteria and fungi grow best on artificial media like agar or broth, not inside an embryo, and plant viruses are typically propagated in plant tissue rather than animal embryos. So, embryonated egg inoculation is a method used to culture animal viruses.