Abstract
Background: Newcastle Disease (ND) is an endemic in poultry that can cause high mortality, reduced productivity, and significant economic losses in layer farms. A decrease in hen-day egg production may occur without pathognomonic clinical symptoms. Therefore, supportive diagnostic methods are required to detect active virus infection. Methods: This study aimed to determine the presence of the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), isolated in embryonated chicken eggs (ECE) from organ samples collected from vaccinated layer hens that still decreased the egg production. This study was conducted on four Isa Brown layer hens from two housing at the ABC Farm, West Java, Indonesia. Organ samples included brain, proventriculus, spleen, lung, caecal tonsils and uterus. Hemagglutination (HA) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests were used to identify NDV. Results: The NDV was successfully isolated from the brain, proventriculus, spleen, and uterus organ samples using the in ovo method and HA test during the first passage with HA titers ranging from 25 to 27 HAU. HI test confirmed that the detected virus was NDV. Conclusions: In ovo isolation method combined with HA and HI test can be utilized to detect active NDV infection in layer hens that experience a drop in egg production. The brain, proventriculus, spleen, and uterus are ideal organs to be used as diagnostic samples for ND.
Keywords
Newcastle Disease, In ovo virus isolation, Hemagglutination, Layer hens, Drop production