Gumboro Disease (IBD); an Acute, Highly Contagious Viral Infection in Chickens

 

Gumboro Disease, also known as infectious bursal disease, infectious avian nephrosis, and infectious bursitis, is a highly contagious disease mostly seen in young chickens and turkeys at the age of 3 to 6 weeks, and is caused by infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). Signs and symptoms may include dehydration, ruffled feathers, watery diarrhea, and depression. It results from the deposition of pathogenic bacteria and other organisms on the toes and lower parts of the legs. Common causes are infections of roundworms, ringworms, distemper, fleas, ticks, lice, etc., and infections of the lymph nodes or draining lymph system, or nephritis.

Gumboro Disease may be primary or secondary, and usually occurs in untreated sick geese or sick turkeys. It can lead to death, if left untreated. This condition is spread through unbroken skin contact and is fatal in up to 50% of infected turkeys. Infectious bursitis can be prevented by daily examination of the bottom half of the birds' backs. In case of chronic infection or mortality, antibiotics are required. Gumboro disease is caused by several species of Orthoptera. The disease is normally transmitted by interspecific fighting. Bursae, small sacs filled with fluid, serve as a protection for bones. These sacs are often punctured during fights.

Infection can spread along the lines of the bursae. If an infected bird scratches it’s head on something that another bursa in the flock has touched, then both the birds will pick up the bacteria. However, this is not the only way to acquire the bacteria. Mites and parasites also cause bursae to become infectious. A parasitic bursa, for example, becomes infectious through the bite of an infected animal. Mites can be found almost everywhere. Common places to find them are in the urine of a cat, the stool of a pig and, infrequently, in the nesting material of a bird. Parasites, such as tapeworms and lice, can be found in bird droppings. A trapped bird may carry any number of parasites, which can quickly spread among the fowl.

Bursae are usually not painful, but sometimes they can be when the animal is injured, stressed, or frightened. When swelling around a bursae is accompanied by fever, low blood pressure, or other symptoms that affect the whole body, it is probably a Bursitis infection (Gumboro disease). The classic sign is swelling, pain, or redness near the site of the bursa, but other symptoms may occur as well, including loss of appetite, loss of body weight, tiredness, chills, dizziness, loss of bladder control, and other respiratory problems.

As the infection advances, so does the inflammation, and eventually the bird becomes fatigued and weak. The bird's feather becomes covered with lesions, which are called cicatrices. Finally, the cicatrices harden into a ball-shaped mass, called a virus, and it becomes too painful for the bird to eat, so the infection advances. The best way to be sure is to observe the bird carefully, for several days after the initial onset of symptoms, and to be vigilant about any signs of infection, as these may be the first signs of an infection spreading to other body parts, such as the soles of feet and the pericardium.

However, there is no effective treatment for Gumboro Disease (infectious bursal disease). Since the virus is very stable in the environment, adequate downtime, pest control, disinfection, and strict cleaning after depopulating a contaminated farm is key to reduce the risk of recurrent outbreaks.

See Full Report@ https://bit.ly/3ym46Hb