Clinical Science Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Avian Research Center, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia,
J Avian Med Surg. 2024 Oct;38(3):129-132. doi: 10.1647/AVIANMS-D-24-00020.
This article describes the first reported case of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in houbara bustards () from Saudi Arabia. Infectious bronchitis virus is a highly infectious virus that leads to major economic losses in the poultry industry. It is prevalent globally and causes severe respiratory and reproductive diseases in chickens. Although a wealth of information exists about IBV prevalence and transmission in domestic birds, similar information is lacking for houbara bustards. The major objectives of this research were to investigate whether IBV infections exist among houbara bustards at the National Wildlife Research Center in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and to determine the prevalence of this virus in this bird population. Fifty-eight oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were gathered from 29 unvaccinated birds without clinical signs between 2017 and 2023. Extraction of complete RNA from the swab samples and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing were used to identify IBV. The prevalence of IBV in this population was 37.9% (11 of 29; 95% confidence interval, 20.2-55.5%), indicating transmission asymptomatically among captive houbara bustards. This research identified for the first time that houbara bustards were exposed to IBV, and that this exposure is not uncommon. To counter IBV in Saudi Arabia, recommendations include continuous monitoring of the virus, isolation of infected birds, phylogenetic analysis, genotypic identification of the virus in houbara bustard, and development of an effective vaccination.
本文描述了沙特阿拉伯猎隼中传染性支气管炎病毒 (IBV) 的首例报告。传染性支气管炎病毒是一种高度传染性病毒，可导致家禽业遭受重大经济损失。它在全球范围内流行，可引起鸡的严重呼吸道和生殖疾病。尽管有大量关于 IBV 在家禽中的流行和传播的信息，但猎隼中类似的信息却缺乏。本研究的主要目的是调查沙特阿拉伯塔伊夫国家野生动物研究中心的猎隼是否存在 IBV 感染，并确定该病毒在该鸟类种群中的流行情况。2017 年至 2023 年间，从 29 只未接种疫苗且无临床症状的鸟类中采集了 58 份口咽和泄殖腔拭子。从拭子样本中提取完整的 RNA 并进行逆转录聚合酶链反应测试以鉴定 IBV。该人群中 IBV 的流行率为 37.9%（29 只中有 11 只；95%置信区间，20.2-55.5%），表明在圈养猎隼中无症状传播。本研究首次发现猎隼接触过 IBV，而且这种接触并不罕见。为了在沙特阿拉伯对抗 IBV，建议包括持续监测病毒、隔离感染鸟类、进行系统发育分析、鉴定猎隼中的病毒基因型以及开发有效的疫苗。
