In this article on our site we will talk about avian infectious bronchitis, a disease that, although discovered in 1930, continues to cause of numerous deaths in infected birds. In fact, it is one of the most common diseases in hens and roosters, although the virus that causes it can not only affect this animal species.
Today research is still being carried out to create a vaccine that offers greater immunity against this disease, since, in addition to being deadly, it is highly contagious, as we will see below. So, if you live with birds and have noticed respiratory symptoms that make you suspect this problem, read on to find out everything about infectious bronchitis in birds, its signs clinics and treatment.
What is avian infectious bronchitis?
Avian infectious bronchitis (IBV) is an acute and highly contagious viral disease, caused by a coronavirus belonging to the order of nidovirales. Although its name associates it with the respiratory system, it is not the only thing that this disease affects. IBV is capable of wreaking havoc on the intestines, kidneys, and reproductive system.
It is distributed worldwide, it can be suffered by birds of any age and it is not specific to chickens and hens, since it has also been described in turkeys, quail and partridges. For this reason, despite the fact that many people know the disease as infectious bronchitis of chickens, the truth is that it is a pathology that affects different species.
How is avian infectious bronchitis transmitted?
The most important routes of infection are aerosols and faecesof infected animals. It is a highly contagious disease that can pass from one bird to another very quickly if several of these animals live in the same home. Likewise, the mortality rate from IBV is extremely high, which is why it is so important to take extreme precautions and isolate the infected animal to prevent the rest from becoming infected.
Is avian infectious bronchitis zoonotic?
IBV is a highly contagious disease, but fortunately this occurs only in birds (and not in all species). Fortunately, this virus is not viable in humans, which is why IBV is not considered a zoonotic disease. In any case, it is convenient to disinfect the areas that have had contact with the sick animal, since we ourselves can transport the virus from one place to another and unintentionally spread it, causing other birds to get sick.
Avian Infectious Bronchitis - Symptoms
The symptoms that can be most easily identified are those that respond to the name of the disease, that is, the respiratory signs and symptoms. Reproductive signs may also be noted in females and renal signs. The following statements constitute important evidence to put the name of this disease within the presumptive diagnoses, therefore, these are the most common clinical signs of avian infectious bronchitis:
- Cough.
- Runny nose.
- Gaps.
- Rattles.
- Aggregations of birds in heat sources.
- Depression, malaise, wet beds.
- Decrease in the external and internal quality of the eggs, leading to misshapen or shellless eggs.
- Watery stools and increased water intake.
As we can see, some of the symptoms can be confused with those of other diseases, such as avian cholera or avian pox, so it is necessary to visit the veterinarian urgently.
Diagnosis of avian infectious bronchitis
The diagnosis of this pathology is not easy to carry out clinically, since it presents signs and symptoms that also express other diseases. In these types of cases, the laboratory should be used to have an accurate and reliable diagnosis. In some cases, it has been possible to isolate and identify the avian infectious bronchitis virus through serological tests, however, said virus has certain antigenic changes that reduce the specificity of the test, that is, the results are not 100% reliable.
Some authors have described other diagnostic techniques used in recent times, such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Using this type of molecular genetic techniques, the test has high specificity and high sensitivity, thus achieving much more reliable results.
It should be noted that these types of laboratory tests are usually expensive. However, it is part of responsible animal ownership to go to the veterinary clinic to find the problem that is developing the symptoms and treat it.
How to cure avian infectious bronchitis? - Treatment
There is no specific treatment against avian infectious bronchitis. Any of the medicines used are to relieve the signs and symptoms, but they will not be able to eliminate the virus. In some cases, symptom control, usually done with antibiotics, can reduce mortality, especially when diagnosed early. Antibiotics are never prescribed for viral illnesses, but they can sometimes help prevent secondary infections associated with opportunistic bacteria. Of course, it should be the specialist who prescribes the antibiotics for avian infectious bronchitis, we should never self-medicate our birds because we could considerably worsen the clinical picture.
This disease is prevented and controlled by vaccination and sanitary measures.
Vaccine for avian infectious bronchitis
The basis for the prevention and control of many diseases is vaccination. For the IBV two types of vaccines are used and the protocols may vary depending on the area where they are going to be implemented and according to the criteria of each veterinarian. These types of avian infectious bronchitis vaccines are generally used:
- Live vaccines (attenuated virus)
- Inactivated vaccines (dead virus)
Remember that the Massachusetts serotype is considered the classic type of avian infectious bronchitis and vaccines based on this serotype also provide a certain degree of protection against other serotypes.
Currently, research is continuing to bring a vaccine to market that can guarantee protection against any serotype of the disease.
