Volume 15, Issue 2: 2025 - Article 192

Abstract
This report presents a case of co-occurrence of infectious bursal disease (IBD) and infection with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica in a flock of 487 three-week old ISA Brown pullets in Maiduguri, Nigeria. The flock had a history of having been previously vaccinated against IBD using a foreign-sourced vaccine. The outbreak was marked by acute lethargy, anorexia, 100% morbidity and 63.9% mortality. Post-mortem examination of carcasses of the dead chicks and histopathological examination of tissues obtained at necropsy revealed enlarged, hemorrhagic bursae with severe lymphoid depletion, renal pathology and widespread vascular lesions. Virological assays confirmed IBD virus antigen and high IBD virus antibody titre, while bacteriological culture identified MDR Salmonella strains resistant to tetracycline, sulfonamides, ampicillin and enrofloxacin, but which were susceptible only to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Clinical recovery of the surviving chicks was achieved following ciprofloxacin therapy. This case portrays the complex interplay between a viral disease and opportunistic bacterial infections in poultry, particularly under inadequate biosecurity and questionable vaccination history. It further highlights the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance and its implications for poultry health, food safety, and zoonotic diseases transmission. Based on the findings in this case report, we advocate for strengthened vaccine quality control, improved farm-level biosecurity and integrated One Health approach to disease surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship.


Keywords: Infectious bursal disease; Multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection; Vaccination failure; Biosecurity; One Health.

How to cite this article:
Lawal JR, Igbokwe NA, Ndahi JJ, Ejeh FE, Balami AG, El-Yuguda A, Mohzo DL, Ibrahim UI and Geidam YA (2025). Co-occurrence of infectious bursal disease and multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection in a vaccinated flock of three-week old pullets: A case report. Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences, 15(2): 1066 – 1083.

*Correspondence: E-mail:     rabana4real@unimaid.edu.ng      Phone: +2348032886428

Co-occurrence of infectious bursal disease and multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection in a vaccinated flock of three-week old pullets: A case report
Jallailudeen R. Lawal ^{1, 4}*, Nanacha A. Igbokwe ^{2, 4}, Juliana J. Ndahi ^{3, 4}, Francis E. Ejeh ^{4, 5}, Arhyel G. Balami ^{1, 4}, Abdul-Dahiru El-Yuguda ^{4, 5}, Dauda L. Mohzo ⁶, Umar I. Ibrahim ^{1, 4} and Yaqub A. Geidam <sup>1, 4

1</sup> Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
² Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
³ Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
⁴ Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
⁶ Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

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