Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD): A Threat to Poultry
Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a highly contagious and immunosuppressive poultry disease reported globally, affecting young broilers from 2-5 weeks of age.
Clinical signs of IBD include very virulent or subclinical manifestations, making vaccination in the hatchery crucial to avoid clinical disease.
- IBD affects the lymphoid tissues, particularly the bursa of Fabricius, which is essential for the maturation of immune system cells.
- The bursa of Fabricius is located dorsally to the birds' cloaca and plays a key role in the immune system's development during the embryonic period and the first 2 weeks of life after hatch.
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A novel frozen IBD immune complex has been innovated to stop the Gumboro cycle earlier than before, but vaccinating through subcutaneous or in-ovo routes remains a challenge in many hatcheries worldwide.
Author's summary: IBD is a highly contagious disease affecting poultry.