Scientists at the Veterinary Service Department and the CSIR – Animal Research Institute have confirmed the presence of Infectious Bronchitis (IB) in Ghana’s poultry industry.
Researchers from both institutions, who collected samples from various poultry farms across nine regions of the country, have observed the presence of Infectious Bronchitis, identified as a form of coronavirus.
According to researchers, the virus causes significant economic losses in poultry production. It leads to reduced poultry output, lower egg production, and has been linked to a 5 percent mortality rate in poultry.
In an interview with Channel One News, on the sidelines of a stakeholders workshop on the effective control of Infectious Bronchitis in Koforidua, Senior Research Scientists at the Animal Research Institute, Dr. Matilda Ayim Akonnor and Dr. Theophilus Odoom, presented their research findings on the prevalence, serotypes, and pathotypes of IB in Ghana. They indicated that Infectious Bronchitis is one of the main reasons many poultry farms have ceased operations.
Dr. Akonnor stated, “Indeed, we have confirmed that the virus is present in all nine regions we visited. We have taken samples, analyzed some, and confirmed the virus’s presence. We have also identified the serotype that is circulating around the country from outbreak investigations, and we hope to use this information to develop a vaccination schedule for the country’s poultry farmers.”
Dr. Akonnor stated, “And so, yes, we did confirm that the virus has been in all the regions, nine of them that we visited and then we’ve taken samples, we’ve analysed some, and we are confirmed that the virus is here. We’ve also identified the stereotype that is circulating around the country from outbreak investigations and we hope to use that to develop a vaccination schedule for the poultry farmers in the country.”
Dr. Theophilus Odoom added, “We are discussing the infectious bronchitis virus, which is inherently a coronavirus. This virus leads to reduced production in poultry, such as a decrease in egg production and about 5% mortality, as well as substantial economic losses. The virus we are addressing is of economic significance due to the severe financial losses it inflicts on poultry farmers. It is one of the primary reasons why many poultry farms have collapsed and are unable to recover, mainly because they were not vaccinated. Thanks to our research, we have identified the types of vaccines that can be used in the country.”
Discussing the research’s significance, the Chairman of the Veterinary Council of Ghana, Dr. Jonathan Amakye Anim, disclosed that plans are well underway to introduce the IB vaccine into the national vaccination schedule. He urged the Food and Drugs Authority and other regulatory bodies to expedite all necessary procedures to aid the poultry industry’s recovery.
“Now, we have finalized the schedule. The schedule must be implemented, which requires a vaccine. This means that the VSD must invite vaccine importers to bring them in, so we can add them to our collection of vaccines. This process also involves the FDA because, although veterinarians were traditionally responsible for controlling vaccines, they now must be registered with the FDA. Therefore, we must collaborate with the FDA to fast-track the approval of this particular vaccine, enabling us to implement this schedule promptly.”
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