Assay for Serum Antibodies to Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Local Chickens at Kaduna Metropolis, Northwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute, lymphocidal disease that has been a threat to poultry production in Nigeria and a major disease problem of poultry producing areas of the world. A serological detection of antibodies to the virus was conducted on 300 sera samples derived from local chickens slaughtered at Sheik Abubakar Gumi Central Market Kaduna State, Nigeria. Agar Gel Precipitation test (AGPT) was used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. A prevalence of 36.7% was recorded, with only 2(1.8%) of the seropositive samples having titre of 32, which was below OIE’s advocated titre of ≥ 64 for conferment of specific immunity. These findings confirm endemicity of IBDV in Kaduna and indicate that field strains of IBDV still existing in local chickens serve as vehicles of transmission of the virus, thereby maintaining the infectious cycle amongst avian species in Kaduna.