Molecular detection and histopathological effect of infectious bronchitis virus circulating in vaccinated broiler flocks in Basrah /Iraq between 2020 and 2021

Infectious bronchitis represents a worldwide disease in distribution and is extremely difficult to control, because of its multiple serotypes and variant strains. Rapid detection of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is the beneficial achievement of controlling measurement and scientific research determinations. Thus, the aims of the current research have represented the detection of IBV in Basra province, by using the molecular technique which targeting the 5’ untranslated region gene of IBV which is less variable than the other genes and finds the histopathological changing that caused by such viruses. About 80 clinical tissue samples (kidney and trachea) were pooled from broiler chicks with clinical findings related to IBV. Later the samples were subjected to Real-time PCR and histopathological techniques. Positive samples were detected with one-step real-time and clinical diagnosis in addition to the histopathological changes; excessive vaculation mostly in sub capsular renal tubules, aggregation of inflammatory cells in sub capsular renal tubules. Further, the molecular part of the current work explained infectious bronchitis in all studied farms of IBV. According to the results of the current study, the IBV is still circulating with devastating effects on the poultry industry in Basra province and this might be due to a lack of awareness among the owners of the farms in matters related to biosecurity and vaccination program.