COMPREHENSIVE PATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF INCLUSION BODY HEPATITIS HYDROPERICARDIUM SYNDROME IN BROILER CHICKENS OF BIKANER

According to archaeological data chickens were domesticated from the red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) in the Indus Valley about 5400 B.C. [1].The Indian poultry sector is among the fastest-growing segments of agriculture, expanding at an approximate annual rate of 8%.Enhanced production methods over the last forty years have led to significant gains in egg and broiler production-poultry meat now makes up about 51% of the nation's total meat output, with nearly 5 million metric tonnes produced in 2022-2023 [2].The rapid expansion of the poultry industry driven by increases in flock size and shifts in husbandry practices has significantly altered disease patterns.Infections now cause both direct and indirect financial losses, making robust disease prevention and control measures essential for sustainable growth [3,4,5].Despite advances in diagnostics and vaccines, infectious diseases remain a major challenge.Although ABSTRACT: The broiler chicken of various age groups presented for necropsy examination as well as samples collected from organized poultry farms suspected of Inclusion body hepatitis-Hydropericardium syndrome (IBH-HPS) were included in this study.Total 147 dead broiler chickens were examined and samples were collected from 104 suspected birds based on gross lesions were selected for histopathological and molecular studies.Inclusion body hepatitis-Hydro pericardium syndrome affects multiple organs specifically liver and heart observed in broiler chicken.The histological diagnosis of IBH-HPS in the present study was made based on intranuclear basophilic inclusion bodies found in hepatocytes.Oedema, degeneration as well as diffuse accumulation and proliferation of mono nuclear cells in the different organs were observed.Gross studies are reliable methods for diagnosing of IBH-HPS in poultry in the field conditions, however PCR amplification of Hexon gene was carried out for the confirmation of the adenovirus.