Infectious bursal disease (IBD), first called “Gumboro Disease” (named after the first occurrence of the disease in the Gumboro region of the United States) is a highly contagious, fatal and immunosuppressive disease. It mainly affects chickens (especially chicks and young chickens), causing significant economic losses to the global poultry industry. This article will introduce in detail the use methods and precautions of the Gumboro disease vaccine to help farmers effectively deal with this disease.
Etiology of Gumboro disease
The virus belongs to the genus Avibirnavirus of the Birnaviridae family. It is a double-stranded RNA virus that mainly infects the bursa of chickens (which is a key immune organ) and causes immunosuppression. Studies have shown that there are two serotypes of IBDV, but only serotype 1 is pathogenic to chickens, mainly infecting young chickens 3-6 weeks old.
How Gumboro disease spreads?
The Gamboro virus has no envelope and is highly resistant to drugs. It can survive in contaminated feed, water, feces, and insects (such as Alphitobius) for more than 50 days, and even after the infected chickens are removed, it can survive in the chicken coop environment for more than 4 months. Transmission is mainly through direct contact or contaminated feed, water and feces infection, and infected chickens discharge high levels of virus within about 2 weeks after infection.
Infectious Bursa Clinical Symptoms
Common symptoms
Depression: The chicken appears listless and has reduced activity.
Loss of appetite: Chickens reduce or stop eating.
Gather together: The chickens tend to huddle together with unkempt feathers.
Watery diarrhea: Chicken chops have watery or green diarrhea, which may contain blood in severe cases.
Dehydration: Chickens may show signs of dehydration due to diarrhea.
Severe cases
High mortality rate: especially for infections with strong strains, the mortality rate can reach 20% to 90%. Death usually occurs within 3-4 days, and it takes 7-8 days for survivors to recover.
Sudden death: Some flocks of chickens die without obvious signs.
Types of Gumboro vaccines
There are two forms of Gamboro vaccine, each with a specific application：
Live attenuated vaccine: Used in young chickens to induce active immunity, usually inoculated when maternal antibodies decline. Studies have shown that they may sometimes cause mild bursa atrophy and may lead to immunosuppression.
Inactivated vaccine: Used in breeders to induce high levels of antibodies, which are passed on to offspring through eggs, providing passive immunity in the first few weeks. This is particularly important to ensure the health of future generations.
Gamboro vaccines methods of use
Use of live attenuated Gamboro vaccine
Drinking water administration
This is a common method for large flocks of chickens, the process includes：
According to the age and environmental conditions of the chicken, calculate the amount of water the chicken will drink within 2 hours. Dissolve the vaccine in a small amount of cold, chlorine-free water to ensure that the virus remains active. Add this solution to the calculated amount of water and mix well to ensure uniform distribution. Remove all other water sources and make sure the chickens drink vaccine water. Provide vaccine water for 2 hours, then remove and provide fresh water.
Eye drops for administration
For small flocks or precise doses, a dropper can be used to drop to eyes. The vaccine must be compounded according to the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure sterility and appropriate dosage.
Spray administration: Some live vaccines can be sprayed in the chicken coop as a fine mist, especially for chicks that have just emerged from the shell.
Use of inactivated virus Gamboro vaccine
It is usually administered by intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) injection. The process includes：
Compound the vaccine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The medicine is administered using a syringe, usually 0.5 ml per chicken. Ensure appropriate injection techniques to avoid tissue damage and ensure effectiveness.
Timing and dosage of Gamboro vaccination
The optimal vaccination time depends on several factors, including the level of maternal antibodies (MDA) of the chicks. Studies have shown that if the level of MDA is high, vaccination may need to be postponed to ensure that the vaccine is effective, because high MDA may neutralize the live vaccine. This is an important consideration because it affects vaccination planning and effectiveness.
Live Gamboro Vaccine
It is usually vaccinated at 7-14 days of age, and may be strengthened at 21-28 days, depending on the vaccine used and the level of MDA.
The dose is usually specified by the manufacturer, usually based on the dose per liter of water, to ensure that all chickens are sufficiently exposed.
Inactivated Gamboro Vaccine
Breeders start from 16-18 weeks of age, usually inoculated with two doses, with an interval of 2-4 weeks. The dose is usually 0.5 ml per chicken and is administered by injection.
Several precautions need to be taken to ensure the effectiveness and safety of vaccines
Storage: The vaccine must be stored at the recommended temperature, usually between 2°C and 8°C, and the validity period must be checked before use. Freezing may inactivate the live vaccine.
Water quality: For the administration of drinking water, use cold, chlorine-free water to prevent virus inactivation. Chlorine and other disinfectants may invalidate vaccines.
Ingestion: Make sure that all chickens have access to vaccine water or are properly injected. For drinking water, remove other water sources to encourage drinking within a specified time, usually 2-3 hours.
Biosecurity measures: Follow strict biosecurity protocols to prevent the spread of diseases, including cleaning and disinfecting equipment used for vaccination.
Diagnosis and monitoring after Gamboro vaccination
After vaccination, antibody levels can be monitored through serology such as ELISA tests to ensure an adequate immune response. This is particularly important for inactivated vaccines for breeders to ensure that protection is passed on to future generations.
Wixbio Gamboro vaccination program
| Vaccine type | Strain | Vaccination age | Method of administration | Purpose |
| Live attenuated | B87 | 1 day old: first vaccination21 days old: second vaccination. | Drinking water, eye drops, spray | Young chickens |
| Inactivated | HQ | 12 weeks old: first vaccination16 weeks old: second vaccination. | Injection of immunity | Breeders |
Summary
GUmboro disease is a major threat to the chicken farming industry. The core hazard lies in the destruction of bursa, which leads to the collapse of the immune system. Prevention and control needs to take vaccination as the core, combine biosafety and scientific management, and reduce the knock-on risks caused by immunosuppression. The choice of live or inactivated vaccine depends on the age of the chicken and the farm vaccine strategy. Live vaccines are preferred because they can simulate natural infection and stimulate immunity, while inactivated vaccines provide longer-lasting protection for breeders. Wixbio aims to provide vaccines that match local prevalent strains, especially in areas with high genetic diversity of IBDV. The use of Gumboro disease vaccine requires careful consideration of the type of vaccine, method of administration and time, and strict compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions and precautions.
