Abstract

Despite the efforts made by stake holders towards eradication of pathogens from poultry flocks, Newcastle disease virus infection is still of continuing economic concern in Nigeria. Consequently, adapting prompt, sensitive and inexpensive diagnostic techniques will without doubt clamp down on the menace of the disease. Characterization of Newcastle disease virus isolated from laying chickens (layers) receiving aqueous extract of balsam apple (Momordica balsamina) was done using the intra-cerebral pathogenicity infectivity (ICPI) test, mean death time of the minimum lethal dose (MDT/MLD) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The presence of Newcastle disease (ND) virus was established using the haemagglutination (HA) and haemaglutination inhibition (HI) test from samples of trachea, lungs, liver, heart, proventriculus and intestines of chicken carcasses necropsied. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has a higher advantage over other techniques with respect to sensitivity while in terms of cost and availability of materials; the mean death time and intra-cerebral pathogenicity infectivity have higher advantage over PCR.

Key words: Characterization, mesogenic, Momordica balsamina, Newcastle disease