I would like to know about occurrence of Inclusion Body Hepatitis (IBH) in Commercial Layers. The Disease has been reported in broilers, but can layer birds also be affected? Vaccination at what age can be helpful if such occurrence is seen in the field?
Kindly let me know about the experiences & the treatments followed specifically in Layers, if any outbreak has been reported.
IBH is a oportunistic disease in many ways. I have seen the disease in all ages o birds. From beoilers to pulets and layers. It is opportunistic disease in stressed Lors or immune suppression conditions. Thus evaluate your situation and assessed other primary diseases such Marek, NCD, Respiratory disease complex with Mycoplasmosis, micotoxins in the diet or environmental heat schok and changes in biosecurity meassures / poor sanitation. Also there are many reservores of IBH virus in the environment.
Vaccination is best in Breeders and Early age in pullets vaccinations.
Greetings,
Victor Bermudez, Venezuela.
IBH disease 's economic importance has been felt in India late 80s when IBD was the major problem. Name indicate liver is affected disturbing metabolism functions . Mainly we notice hydro pericardium in round shape of the heart due to fluid pressure and in India it is said LICHI disease. It is more seen in broiler and also seen in layer for which vaccination schedules have been recommended for all egg laying stocks. For commercial broilers it is not commonly recommended for vaccination but some time when previous batch of flock in farm show IBH then it is recommended for mid first wk vaccination. Vaccine is available which is a killed vaccine not live vaccine. One can vaccinate 0.2-0.25ml per chick subcutaneous rout which is best for chick age. well for breeders boosters are given and always last dose is at prior to lay start. One has to follow the breeder's recommendations.
There is need to now for differential diagnosis between ascitis and IBH. In IBH hydro pericardium, liver enlargement, hemorrhagic spots on the liver surface, some time uretes in the uretors have been seen. After outbreak perhaps there is no need for treatment with antibiotics except electrolytes, and water soluble and fat soluble vitamins, and liver extracts can be a choice of medication. But due to Imuno-suppression the other bacterial situations like colibacillosis would appear where one can try for antibiotics if desired .
Control program is best and priority is mycotoxin levels in the feed say aflatoxin should be free .
I hope i have made some comments from my experience would like to hear from other professionals.
Occurence in layer might be negligible,but we need to identify the exact strain if it is there.This can be done with the help of reputed lab for example National Institute of Virology.
In broilers people were able to control IBH by doing vaccinations at day one that too vaccines made from locally extracted strain i.e. tailor made vaccines.
In Pakistan, it most commonly occurs in broilers, however, cases of IBH do appear in layer flocks too, generally related to poor quality feed due to aflatoxins or any other mycotoxins. Please remember, IBH is caused by virus, which needed predisposed factors to become activated to cause disease. You always has to check those factors which are conducive to any virus to become capable of reproduction to cause disease, if you remove the cause, then virus would disappear after completing its cycle.
IBH is a rare occurrence in layers. Most susceptible age is 3-6 weeks.Amongst layers heavier leghorns are more susceptible than lighter weight breeds.
Adenoviruses are common inhabitants of intetinal and respiratory tracts of APPARENTLY healthy chickens. These are potentially transmitted by th vertical route. It makes cause-relationship of the disease complex and leaves the pathogenesis poorly understood.
Feed restriction or low-protein low-energy feed reduces metabolic pressure on liver. Hepatic protectants aid recovery. Treatment outcome remains controversial, because, with or without treatment, mortality pattern remains unchanged (3 days rise in mortality, 3 days platue, followed by a reduction in mortality in the next 3 days ... a total of 9-10 days course with a general mortality of less than half per cent. If mortality is more than one per cent or course of the disease prolongs than 10 days, look for other complicating factors). However, it is certain that if sulfonamides are used to check the secondary bacterial infections, it aggravates the disease.
Thank You to all Repected Professionals for the expert opinions, to summarize the occurence & control of IBH following points came forward...
1. Hygiene & sanitation of the layer farms.
2. Lowered Immune status due to exposure to other viruses, mycotoxins or any bacterial infection
3. Adenoirus transmitted vertically
4. Differential diagnosis in Ascites & IBH need to be done
5. following vaccination schedule in Parents help to control the occrence of disease
6. Liver tonics along with Fat soluble vitamins are remedial sources for controlling the further mortality & production drop in layers.
FAV--IBH-HPS IS AN EMERGING POTENTIAL DISEASE IN FOWL .TRANSMISSIONIS PRIMARILY THROUGH
BREEDER FLOCK TO CHICKS VIA EGG..SPECIALLY BREEDER HEN INFECTED AT YOUNG AGE SAY- FIRST LAY TO 26--27 WEEK LAID EGGS SHOW SEVERITY TO IBH IN CHICKS.
PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO IBD ,MD OR CAV MAKES BIRD MORE SUSCEPTILE TO IBH.
SECONDLY ANY FACTOR THAT CAUSES STRESS AND IMMUNOSUPRESSION SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE..
Dear Dr. Atul Rajput,
I think you are discussing about suspected outbreak looking like IBH in laying birds in Ludhiana area of Punjab.
I have never come accross any IBH outbreak in laying phase of layer strain of birds. All references indicate that it is seen in heavier breeds. Layer breeds popular in India are all light weight birds.
IBH will be confirmed primarily by histo-pathological examination of liver and later by virus isolation.
Have you tried to confirm/rule out disease by any of these tests?
dear dr sudhir
yes your opinion is positive. layer breeders and commercial layers have a excellent tailored vaccination schedule ,which prevents them from much of the viral infections. . i had random adeno-viral -IBH-HPS in broilers on my farms ,but layers had not shown such a cause.
The present problem is directly linked with Immune suppression caused basically by CIAV. If you enhance immunity and keep optimum level of vaccine titers then it is virtually impossible to get this problem.
What is the current status of vaccines in India? As these virus is there since long time and create problems regularly. Killed vaccines are there. As there are different stereotypes of these virus does it take care by present vaccines?
How to cure the affected batch ? If any vaccine available to use when the bird affected in IBH. We got suggestion from experts to use B-904 of Ventribiologicals to use in drinking water 1ml per Liter till mortality lower.
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