Infectious bursal disease outbreak in 19-week old commercial pullets in Ibadan, Nigeria: a case report

Abstract

This is a report of an outbreak of infectious bursal disease in a flock of 450 19-week old Isa brown layers in Ibadan, Nigeria. The birds were maintained on the deep litter system in a backyard set-up. Presenting clinical signs included unthriftiness, yellowish-green diarrhoea and mortality. A total of ten birds died over a period of three days before four carcasses were presented for necropsy. Necropsy revealed a markedly enlarged, oedematous and haemorrhagic bursa. Histopathologic findings including lympho-cytolysis and oedema were characteristic of an acute bursitis and a positive agar-gel precipitation test were used to confirm the diagnosis of Infectious bursal disease.

Keywords: Agar gel precipitation, Infectious bursal disease, Isa brown, Necropsy Vaccination