Effects of Newcastle Disease Virus on Different Haematological Parameters in Broilers

Newcastle disease (ND) is a severe life threatening viral infection of poultry birds in Pakistan. Current study was performed to evaluate effects of Newcastle disease virus on haematological changes in broiler chicken. Eighty (80) blood samples were collected from twenty (20) different farms of District Abbottabad clinically suspected for Newcastle disease infection & eighty (80) samples were collected from the healthy (ND free Broiler Flock) raised at Veterinary Research and Disease Investigation Centre, Abbottabad. The data revealed that there is a sharp decline in values for total erythrocyte count, haemoglobin concentration, HCT, MCH & MCV for ND affected birds viz; (1.63±0.07,8.7±0.26 & 21.79b±1.05, 53.3a±7.3& 1.33.68a±29 respectively) was significant (p-value<0.05) as compared to healthy broiler birds viz; (2.66a±0.08,10.1a±0.31& 28a±0.51, 37.9b±1.6 & 105.2b±2.1 respectively). Values for MCHC (36.1a±1.4 of healthy & 39.9a±29 for ND affected broiler birds) were not significant. Whereas for leukogram of group A, TLC, Heterophilslymphocytes, monocytes & eosinophils for ND infected birds viz; (20a±1.2, 18b±0.04, 74a±0. 14,5b±0.16 & 2.8b±0.04 was significant as compared to healthy broilers viz; (17.2b±0.9, 26a±0.03, 63b±0.15, 7a±0.14 & 3a±0.03 respectively). Basophils of ND infected & healthy broilers viz; 0.2a±0.02 & 0.1b±0.02 respectively were not found significant as p>0.05. It was also observed that ND virus has significantly affected haematology parameters in broiler birds.