Infectious Bursal Disease

(Gumboro Disease/Infectious Bursitis/

Avian Nephrosis)
 Aetiology
• Infectious Bursal Disease virus
– belongs to Birnaviridae
– Non-enveloped, RNA virus
• Serotype 1 & 2
– Serotype 1 - pathogenic and usually affects chicken
– Serotype 2 - non-pathogenic
• Different pathotypes/subtypes are available in the
field.
• Resistant and hardy virus
– Persists in the premises for more than 4 months
– Persists in contaminated feed for more than 2 months
 Epidemiology
• Clinical disease is seen only in chickens, between
3-7 weeks.
• Occurs at stages with greatest bursal mass, and
causes immunosuppression.
• Late clinical IBD is found in layers.

Transmission
• Droppings of infected birds—Ingestion of
contaminated
matter
• Inhalation
• Spread through mechanical means and vectors
Effects of IBD on birds
• Mortality
• Immunosuppression--Transient & Permanent
– Effects of immunosuppression
• Secondary infections
• Poor response to live vaccines
• High FCR in brilers
• Maternally derived immunity for IBD
– Peaks at 3 weeks and then decline.
– Rapid decline in broiler chicks
 Clinical Gigns
• Depression
• Fallen into a side
• Whitish/blood tinged diarrohea
• Vent pecking
• Mortality
 Necropsy findings
• Haemorrhages on specific sites of musculature
• Urate deposits in kidneys
• BOF
– 1 to 5th day
• Enlarged, reddened BOF
• Accumulation of pus
– 5th day onwards
• Atrophy of BOF
• Haemorrhages on the proventricular-gizzard
junction
• Haemorrhages throughout the gut.
 Treatment
• No specific treatment
• Antibiotic therapy to prevent secondary
infections
• No point in immunizing recovered birds
• Immunize exposed flocks
 Control and prevention
• Biosecurity measures
• Proper disinfection programmes
– Ordinary disinfectents are not iffective, eg.
Quaternary ammonium compounds, Iodine
compounds and lime
– Effective compounds include formaldehyde-
glutaraldehyde combitions, formaldehyde gas and
“Verkon S”
– Down time – 2-3 weeks
• Effective vaccination programmes
 IBD Vaccines
Mild Intermediate Intermediate + Hot

Highly Attenuated or low Less attenuated Non-attenuated

attenuated pathogenic , field strains
naturally available
strains

Mild strains are ineffective against under our field

conditions, and intermediate type is commonly used
 Vaccines available
• Intermediate type
– D78, Univax BD, Bur 706 , Bursine 2, TAD Gumboro
• Legally permitted types in Sri Lanka
– Intermediate and intermediate + types
• Intermediate type
– Can be used any number of times
– Can be used continuously
• Intermediate + type
– Used only when it is impossible to control with
intermediate type
• Vaccination failures
– Use of incorrect strains
– Maternal antibody interference
– Incorrect vaccine administrations
– Presence of virulent field strains