Detection of infectious bronchitis virus in chickens and other avian species using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

ABSTRACT

The current study was conducted to investigate the incidence of IBV in commercial chicken farms suspected of having IBV infection, as well as other available avian species [turkeys, pigeons, parrots and canaries] revealed respiratory manifestations. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reactions [RT-PCRs] were used to examine RNA extracted from tracheal swabs as well as corresponding harvested inoculated allantoic fluids. The universal oligonucleotide primers used were based on conserved sequences of IBV nucleocapsid [N] protein to ensure a very wide detection range. The overall RT-PCRs detection rates were 24/65 [37%] for the swab samples and 18/65 [28%] for allantoic harvests, while the revealing rates varied between 12/15 [80%], 10/15 [66.7%] in chickens, 5/15 [33.3%], 3/15 [20%] in turkeys, 3/15 [20%], 3/15 [20%] in pigeons and 4/15 [26.7%]. 2/15 [13.3%] in parrots for the swab samples and allantoic harvests respectively. It could be concluded that RT-PCR using this universal oligonucleotide primer can be used to screen field samples suspected of containing IBVs. Once positive samples are identified, they are inoculated into embryonating chicken eggs for traditional virus isolation, serotyping and gene sequences. In addition; there is a real threat of IB spreading among chickens and other avian species[indeed, present in Turkeys, Pigeons and parrots]. However, it remains unclear how this virus emerged in that birds so further studies are recommended. For the author knowledge no previous statement of IBV infection in other avian species in Egypt were recorded