01
Disease Overview
Overview
Inclusion Body Hepatitis is an acute viral disease of the liver, primarily affecting young broiler chickens. It is caused by various serotypes of Fowl Adenovirus (FAdV) and is characterized by sudden mortality spikes.
02
Disease Behavior
Pathogenicity
The virus targets hepatocytes, causing severe liver necrosis and the formation of intranuclear inclusion bodies. IBH is frequently seen as a secondary complication in flocks already immunosuppressed by other viruses like IBD or Chicken Infectious Anemia (CIA).
03
Disease Presentation
Clinical Signs
Clinical signs are often non-specific until mortality begins:
General
Sudden onset of lethargy, drooping wings, and decreased appetite.
Specific
Yellowish diarrhea and pale/jaundiced combs or wattles.
Necropsy
The liver appears swollen, friable (crumbly), and pale with focal necrotic areas.
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Disease Spread
Transmission & Viral Shedding
Vertical Transmission
The virus can be passed from infected breeders to their offspring through the egg (egg-borne).
Horizontal Transmission
Spreads through the fecal-oral route or via contaminated nasal/ocular secretions.
Latency
Adenoviruses can remain latent in a flock and reactivate during periods of stress.
05
Identification
Diagnosis and Timeline
Incubation
Variable, but clinical outbreaks usually occur in broilers between 3 and 7 weeks of age.
Diagnosis
Based on characteristic liver lesions during necropsy and confirmed via histopathology (identifying basophilic inclusion bodies in liver cells) or virus isolation from liver tissue.
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Farm Protection
Prevention & Control
Breeder Vaccination
Ensuring breeders are vaccinated or naturally immune is the primary way to prevent vertical transmission to chicks.
Immune Support
Controlling immunosuppressive diseases (IBD, CIA) is crucial to reducing the clinical impact of FAdV.
Biosecurity
Standard hygiene protocols to limit horizontal spread between pens or farms.
Symptoms to Monitor
Clinical Signs
Yellowish diarrhea
Weight loss
Lethargy
Decreased appetite
Pale comb/wattles
Listlessness
Depression
Poor condition
