Seasonal Newcastle disease antibody titre in village chickens of Mbeere District, Eastern Province, Kenya
PRESENTED AT THE 3RD RUFORUM BIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON 24TH TO 28TH SEPTEMBER 2012 IN ENTEBBE, UGANDA
DAVID C KEMBOI
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PATHOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Introduction
Results
Overall 100% and 95.8% of the birds in the wet season and dry season respectively had
specific antibody titers against NDV (>1:8)
Overall, there was a statistically significant higher (P<0.05) titer during the wet season (GMT
65.85) (Table 1) compared to the dry season (GMT 31.08) (Table 2).
In the wet season, titers ranging from 1:16 (24) to 1:256 (28) (Fig 1) while in the dry season
the titer ranging from 1:4 (22) to 1:128 (27)
Chicks and adult birds had a statistically significant higher titer (P<0.05) in the wet than dry
season. For growers, the titers were higher in the dry season, but the difference was not
statistically significant.
Free-range poultry keeping:
Most common type of poultry
production system in Kenya.
Diseases are the main constraint Newcastle disease: characterized by
to poultry production, especially variation in morbidity and mortality,
Newcastle disease.
hemorrhage in gizzard and
proventriculus.
ND virus (NDV) is present in healthy village chicken and hens that survive outbreaks have
antibodies titres
Njagi et al.(2010) did a study in Mbeere district and found that chicken had antibody titers through
out the year , indicating ND virus endemicity.
The aim of the study was to establish the current status of NDV antibody titers as an indicator of
endemicity.
Objective
Materials and Methods
Map 1: The study was carried in Mbeere district,
Eastern Province, Kenya.
Wet season: Long rain (March-June), Short rains
(October to December)
Dry period (January to early March, August
-December)
Table 2:Newcastle disease virus antibody titers in the dry season
Titer
Titer
Age
Samp 1:2
le
size
1:4
1:8
1:16
1:32
1:64
1:128
1:256
GMT
Age
Sample
size
1:2
1:4
1:8
1:16
1:32
1:64
1:128
1:256
GMT
Chicks
7
-
-
-
1
-
4
1
1
70.66
Chicks
9
-
1
1
2
4
1
-
-
20.16
Growers 8
-
-
-
1
2
4
-
1
53.82
Growers 8
-
-
-
2
-
3
3
-
58.69
Adults
-
-
-
-
1
5
3
-
74.65
Adults
-
-
2
2
-
2
1
-
TO
TA
L
9
24
0
0
0
2
3
13
4
2
65.8
5
TO
AL
7
24
0
1
3
6
4
6
4
Key
GMT= Geometric mean
titer calculates as:
26.25
-
31.08
Where G= Geometric mean, n= Number
of variables, X= values of the variable
Fig 1 Microtiter plate showing some of
haemmaglutination inhibition test result
Conclusion
To determine Newcastle disease antibody titres in village chickens in Mbeere District during dry and
wet seasons as an indicator of NDV endemicity.
Forty eight apparently healthy
chickens were purchased from
purposively selected farms (24
birds each in dry and wet
season). The least statistically
allowed number was used due to
animal welfare concerns.
Wet season was in November
while the dry season was in
March
The chicks were less than 2
months old; growers were
between 2 to 8 months; and
adults, above 8 months of age.
Wet season (7 chicks, 8 growers
and 9 adults), Dry season (9
chicks, 8 growers and 7 adults)
All birds were labelled and
transported in cages to Kabete,
University of Nairobi campus for
sampling
Table 1:Newcastle disease virus antibody titers in the wet season
Based on the findings it can be concluded that:
In all seasons birds had high titers, the antibodies waned off during the dry season
The results are comparable to those of Njagi et al (2010)
The presence of antibodies in the chicken indicate endemicity of ND virus in Mbeere
district
:
Recommendations
Some of the 48 apparently healthy chickens purchased from
purposively selected farms
Vaccination is recommended during the start of dry season to maintain high levels of antibodies
and prevent outbreaks.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank RUFORUM for their sponsorship and funding of the project .
The University of Nairobi for providing the work space and facilities. J.K. Kibe, Mary Mutune
and Richard Otieno for their technical assistance, the farmers of Mbeere for their corporation .
Blood was collected for collection of serum
References
Collected sera were tested for NDV specific antibody by
hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test (OIE, 2000).
Njagi, L.W., Nyaga, P.N., Mbuthia, P.G., Bebora, L.C., Michieka, J.N., and Minga, U.M. (2010). A
retrospective study of factors associated with Newcastle disease outbreaks in village indigenous
chickens. Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa, 58(1). http://ajol.info/index.php/bahpa
OIE (Office International des Epizooties) (2000) Newcastle disease. In: Manual of standards for
diagnostic tests and vaccines, 4th edition. OIE, Paris. Pp. 221 – 232.