title: Effects of dietary supplementation of mannan-oligosaccharide on virus shedding in avian influenza (H9N2) challenged broilers.
abstract: Avian influenza (AI) is a highly contagious disease causing significant economic losses worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) on tracheal and cloacal virus shedding in AI challenged broilers and contamination of environment with H9N2. A total of 300 1-day-old-broiler chicks were randomly divided into 3 groups (A, B and C) and supplemented 0.2, 0.5 and 0.0% MOS, respectively in NRC recommended diet for 36 days. On day 21 the groups were further split into two sub groups A+ve, A-ve, B+ve, B-ve, C+ve and C-ve with 5 replicates each. The positive groups were shifted to remote sheds and were challenged intranasally with 0.1 ml of reference virus (AIV; Pk-UDL/01/08 H9N2) with EID50= 10-6.66. Treatment reduces (P<0.05) cloacal virus shedding from day 24 to 26 and 28 to 32. Tracheal virus shedding was lower (P<0.05) on days 25-26 and 28-30 in treatment groups. Day 27 showed highest (P>0.05) virus shedding in all groups. However the reduction of viral shedding is faster in treatment groups and showed no virus shedding on day 32. Maternal antibody titer against AI showed a declining pattern but MOS influenced (P<0.05) the titer in treated groups. Hence the use of MOS may constitute a novel and effective plausible alternative that reduces the spread of disease by decreasing virus shedding and contamination of environment from AIV (H9N2) infection in poultry.
authors.affiliation: MPhil/Ms in Physiology, Department of Physiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore-5400, Punjab, Pakistan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.affiliation: MPhil/Ms in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-25120, KPK, Pakistan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ara
authors.affiliation: MPhil/Ms in Livestock Management, Department of Livestock Management, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-25120, KPK, Pakistan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: MPhil/Ms in Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ud Din Mufti
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-25120, KPK, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imran Khan
keywords: Avian influenza; Broiler; MOS; SAF-Mannan