Detection of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) in naturally infected chickens in Nigeria by the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)

Abstract

The Reverse Transcription - Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was used for the identification of Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). The technique was applied on bursa of Fabricius of infected chicken. Some of these bursae have been kept in the freezer for 16years under conditions of regular electric power fluctuations. A commercially produced IBD vaccine and two freeze dried IBD viruses grown on chicken embryo fibroblast cell were used as known source of IBD viruses. One pair of primers was produced from published sequences of serotype1 IBDV targeted at the VP2 region of the genomic RNA. These primers were designed to generate a product of 1325bp size. Out of 45 samples tested, IBD viral RNA could be detected in 43 samples by the RT-PCR. No reaction was obtained from the RNA extracted from the control bursae. The use of PCR for the diagnosis of diseases is fairly new in this country though the technology has been in use in most developed and some developing countries. It\'s application has been found to improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease diagnosis as the test is very specific. The Viral RNA gemone of IBDV could be detected even in bursal samples found to have degenerated due to storage problems.

KEY WORDS: Infectious bursal disease virus, diagnosis, reverse transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction, chicken

Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol.24(2) 2003: 1-9