Pathological and molecular studies of acute infectious bursal dis-ease in commercial chicken in Andhra Pradesh Akhila N.1, Satheesh K.*, Samatha V.1, Rao T. Srinivasa2, Devi V. Rama1 1Department of Veterinary Pathology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram-521 102, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Andhra Pradesh, India 2Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram-521 102, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Andhra Pradesh, India *Address for Correspondence: Dr K. Satheesh, Principal, A.H. Polytechnic, Banavasi-518 323, Kurnool (Dt.), Andhra Pradesh, India, E-mail: koksatvet@gmail.com
Online Published on 20 June, 2023. Abstract The present study was conducted to diagnose acute Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) in commercial chicken in and around Vijayawada based on pathological lesions and molecular detection of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Of the total 922 birds subjected to the post-mortem examination, 252 were found positive for IBD, with an overall occurrence of 27.33%. IBD was more prevalent in 5 weeks aged birds and the occurrence was highest from April to September months. Grossly, petechiae and ecchymoses on the pectoral and thigh muscles and haemorrhages at the proventriculus-gizzard junction were evident. Bursa of Fabricius was swollen and oedematous with congestion and haemorrhages on the serosal and mucosal surfaces were observed. The spleen was enlarged and mottled. Kidneys were markedly swollen, and congested besides enlarged, friable and yellowish liver. Histopathology revealed prominent findings in the bursa of Fabricius, characterized by congestion and hemorrhages along with lymphoid depletion in follicles, and the presence of eosinophilic necrotic material in the bursal follicles. Lymphoid depletion was also evident in the spleen, thymus and caecal tonsils. Whereas kidney and liver revealed degenerative changes. Molecular detection of IBD by RT-PCR targeting the VP2 gene of IBDV revealed an amplicon size of 480 bp. The nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the present IBDV sample (OM202462) revealed its close relation with the strains of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Karnataka respectively. Top Keywords Infectious Bursal Disease, Nucleotide sequencing, Phylogenetic analysis, RT-PCR. Top |