ABSTRACT
Infectious bursal disease (IBD) has been reported all over the world due to their high socio-economic significance. Infectious bursal disease is a highly contagious disease of young chickens in which the tissues of the immune system of birds, especially the bursa of Fabricius, resulting in immunosuppression and susceptibility to other infections, such as E. coli, Salmonella, Mycoplasma, coccidia, Marek’s disease, and others. Moreover, the subclinical form of infection leads to immunosuppression which is often difficult to measure. The IBD virus genome is bi-segmented and is susceptible to genetic mutations through random recombination. The very virulent strains of IBDV (vvIBDV) have mutations that allow the virus to replicate faster and cause more severe disease. The diagnosis of different forms of IBD is by identifying a combination of characteristic clinical signs, the degree of flock mortality and post-mortem lesions. The laboratory confirmation of the disease is by identification of the virus in affected tissues from dead birds. The primary focus for prevention and control should be on biosecurity of poultry premises and proper implementation of vaccination schedule. Rigorous cleaning and disinfection between flocks are essential for minimizing potential disease spread.
