THE PATHOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS BURSAL DISEASE IN CROSSBREEDS OF HARCO COCKS AND INDIGENOUS NIGERIAN HENS

Abstract

An outbreak of infectious bursal disease (IBD) occurred in a flock of 11-week old crossbreeds of Harco cocks and indigenous Nigerian hens (referred to as exotic and locals respectively in the text). Clinical signs observed include depression, anorexia, ruffled feathers and diarrhoea. Haemorrhages were present in the bursa of Fabricius, muscles and proventriculus-gizzard junction, while the bursae and kidneys were enlarged. Oedema, lymphocytic depletion and presence of remnants of dead lymphocytes were observed in histopathological sections of the bursae and spleen. IBD viral antigen was detected by the agar gel preciptin test (AGPT) in suspensions of the bursae of dead birds. Sera obtained from survivors were also positive for IBD virus precipitins in the AGPT. These observations appear to be the first description of IBD in crossbreed chickens in Nigeria and confirm that they are susceptible to clinical IBD.

(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 91-94)