Development of recombinant vaccines against infectious bursal disease

Abstract

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is responsible for a highly immunosuppressive disease in young chickens that causes significant losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Until the late 1980s, the disease was well-controlled by the use of a range of live attenuated or killed vaccines but in recent years, “very virulent” strains of IBDV have emerged in Europe and Asia. To combat this disease, several investigators have sought the use of recombinant DNA technology to develop new cost-effective vaccines. In this review, the different approaches used for the development of recombinant IBDV vaccines are described.