Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences

Abstract
Newcastle Disease (ND) has been recognized as one of the major health constraints in poultry production in Nigeria and other parts of the world. There have been reports of ND outbreaks in commercial farms in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State Nigeria, but the epizootiogical status of the disease in free range scavenging local chickens in this LGA is unknown, and outbreaks are usually not reported. A cross-sectional serological survey of Newcastle disease virus antibodies was carried out on free range scavenging local chickens in six districts of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. A total of two hundred serum samples were collected from the free range scavenging local chickens. Haemagglutination inhibition test was carried out on the serum samples collected. Haemagglutination inhibition titre for each screened serum sample was determined and titres ≥ 1: 16 was considered positive. The overall occurrence of Newcastle disease virus antibodies in the sample population of free range scavenging local chickens was 55%. The occurrence of ND virus antibodies was highest at Mangor (71.4%), followed by Daffo (66.7%), then Butura (62.5%), Kwatas (58.9%), Mushere (45%) and lastly Toff (27.5%). Females (58.8%) had a higher occurrence of ND virus antibodies than males (47.8%). This result of this study suggests that Newcastle disease virus antibodies is circulating in more than half of the free range scavenging local chickens in the study area, and thus ND may pose a serious threat to the commercial poultry industry in Bokkos LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria. It is recommended that the free range scavenging local birds in the study area be vaccinated against ND.

Keywords: Newcastle disease; Occurrence; ND virus antibodies; Haemagglutination inhibition; Bokkos LGA; Plateau State, Nigeria.

How to cite this article:
Bala A, Patrick J, Abdullahi SM, Umbugadu C, Mahan MY and Anzaku AE (2024). Occurrence of Newcastle disease virus
antibodies in free range local chickens in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Journal of Veterinary and
Applied Sciences, 14(2): 718 – 724.

*Correspondence: E-mail: makvet2006@yahoo.com Phone: +2348039731300

Occurrence of Newcastle disease virus antibodies in free range local chickens in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Akawu Bala ¹*, Justina Patrick ², Saulawa M. Abdullahi ³, Cletus Umbugadu ¹, Micheal Y. Mahan ⁴ and Amos E. Anzaku ⁵1 National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State. Nigeria.
²Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
³ Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
⁴Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria.
⁵Nasarawa State College of Agriculture, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.