Garlic feed inclusion and susceptibility of broiler chickens to infectious bursal disease

Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of garlic (Allium sativum) with its immunomodulatory activity, on the susceptibility of broilers to infectious bursal disease, being an immunosuppressive disease. Materials and methods: Day-old broilers (102) were separated into 6 groups A-F of 17 each. Groups A, B and C had 0.125% of garlic-meal in feed. At 8 and 18 days of age groups A, C, D and F were administered IBD vaccine and groups B, C, D and E were infected with 1LD50 IBD virus (10-3.4 in 0.08ml PBS) via conjuctival instillation at 4 week-old. Clinical signs, mortality and gross pathological lesions were scored. Histopathological lesions in bursae of Fabricius were recorded. Virus antibody titre in serum was assayed at 1 day-old, 4 and 6 weeks-old using quantitative agar gel immunodiffusion test. Data generated was analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple comparison tests (P