Prevalence of Newcastle Disease Virus Antibodies in Apparently Healthy Chickens in Sierra Leone

Abstract

The study was conducted in the southern province of Sierra Leone for a period of seven months (March – September 2019). The main objective of the study was to investigate the seroprevalence level of Newcastle disease antibodies in apparently healthy free-range chickens in selected chiefdoms in the Moyamba District of Sierra Leone. A total of three hundred and thirty-three chickens were included in the study. Sera samples collected were analyzed using competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The result of the investigation revealed an overall prevalence of 56.4% from which 21.6% and 34.8% were male and female chickens respectively. Kaiyamba chiefdom recorded the highest antibodies (73.9%), followed by Lower Banta (53.1%) and Bumpe (42.3%) chiefdoms. The difference in the prevalence of each category showed that adult female chickens were the most susceptible (67.5%) to Newcastle disease followed by the growers (55.8%) and adult male chickens (45.9%). Due to the lack of Newcastle disease vaccination history in the study areas, indigenous chickens had been exposed to the disease naturally in all the chiefdoms. Raising awareness about the disease through effective extension programs and improved animal healthcare services and husbandry practices is of great importance.