Introduction
•
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a coronavirus,
that initially replicate in respiratory tract of
chickens and ultimately reach reproductive,
renal and lymphoid organs to establish a
systemic infection.
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The virus has the potential to persist in the
cecal tonsils and maintain the viral shedding
even when the respiratory tract has cleared the
infection.
The microbiome plays a major role in
protection against infection but IBV infection
can alter microbiome composition.
We aim to understand the relationship
between IBV infection and respiratory and gut
microbiome shift.
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We hypothesize that IBV DMV/1639, which can
cause renal, reproduction and gastrointestinal
tract damage, has the potential to alter both
the gastrointestinal and respiratory microbiome
in broilers.