Pastyria A. Molecular and biological characterization of infectious bursal disease virus identified in Ukraine.

The dissertation is dedicated to the detection and identification of isolates of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), distributed in the territory of Ukraine, as well as their molecular and biological analysis for development of up-to-date vaccination programs. We described the spread of IBDV in Ukraine by serological screening of blood sera from farm chickens in 20 regions of the country. The percentage of positive samples was 96.78%. The results of histological analysis indicate that the infection of chickens with very virulent virus isolates showed a significant depletion of bursal follicles, hemorrhages and lymphocytic infiltrates into the inter-follicular space. Instead, such signs were not observed for the influence of vaccine strains. For molecular analyses IBDV isolates were detected by PCR method in bursa tissues of vaccinated and infected chickens. Out of 120 analyzed samples, the genetic material of the IBDV was identified in 75 samples.