Author(s)

Chekwube Paul Eze, Vincent S. O. Shoyinka, John Osita Arinze Okoye, Wilfred Sunday Ezema, Innocent Okonkwo Ogbonna, Didacus Chukwuemeka Eze, Emmanuel Chukwudi Okwor, Ogbu Kenneth Ikejiofor

Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Microbiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria.
National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria.

The effect of velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) on the immune responses and serum proteins was investigated in six-week-old ducks and chickens. Results showed that weight loss was markedly significant (p < 0.05) from days 3 - 21 (PI) in chickens and mild (p < 0.05) on days 3 and 15 PI in ducks. The antibody response obtained showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in infected chickens (IC) than those of the infected ducks (ID). While the total serum protein and serum globulin increased significantly (p < 0.05) in IC on days 7 and 14 PI, they decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in ID only on day 21 PI. The immune responses and serum protein values in this experiment X-ray showed less susceptibility of ducks when compared with the chickens. This may be related to marked anorexia and severe dehydration observed in the latter consequent upon serum concentration. Ducks could be maintaining the endemicity of Newcastle disease (ND) as reservoir host.

Velogenic Newcastle Disease, Experimental Infection, Immune Response, Serum Proteins, Ducks, Chickens

Eze, C. , Shoyinka, V. , Okoye, J. , Ezema, W. , Ogbonna, I. , Eze, D. , Okwor, E. and Ikejiofor, O. (2014) Comparison of the Serum Proteins and Immune Responses of Velogenic Newcastle Disease Virus Infected Chickens and Ducks. Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 4, 122-128. doi: 10.4236/ojvm.2014.46014.