Outbreak of infectious bursal disease (IBD) or Gumboro disease in chickens due to very virulent strain of IBD virus (vvIBDV) was first reported in Europe in late 1980s. The disease caused high mortality up to 100% in susceptible chicken and immunosuppression. Since then the disease has spread worldwide and was first reported in Asia in early 1990s, including Malaysia in 1991.

The emerging of this new vvIBDV strains has demonstrated that the available vaccines used against IBD could not provide effective protection against vvIBDV field challenged and demanded a specific new IBD vaccine against the disease.

In 2005, we have successfully developed and commercialised a safe and effective MyVAC UPM93 IBD vaccine for chickens specifically against vvIBDV field challenged. The vaccines seed virus was novel and unique with molecular characteristics of the viral protein of the virus is highly homology to vvIBDV field strains in Asia and Europe.

This seed virus was isolated from Poultry Farm, Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1993. The vaccine has passed all the laboratory tests required for dossier such as tests for safety, sterility, back into virulent, virus titre and freedom from extraneous viruses. In 2004, field trials were conducted in commercial broiler chicken farms in Johor, Selangor and Perak, and it was proven that MyVAC UPM93 IBD is safe, effective and able to induce high and protective levels of IBD antibody even in the chicken flocks with different levels of maternally derived antibody.

The vaccine only caused mild to moderate bursal lesion with bursal recovery, without causing immunosuppression, interrupting of body weight, FCR and performance of the chickens.

Both the laboratory and field studies demonstrated that MyVAC UPM93 IBD vaccine is safe and effective to control and prevent vvIBDV field challenged in commercial chickens. The vaccine is currently available in the market and can be obtained from Malaysian Vaccines and Pharmaceutical Sdn Bhd.

In recognition of the innovation and achievements, MyVAC UPM93 IBD vaccine has been awarded The Best Researcher Award on Commercialisation 2005 by UPM and The National Research Innovation Award between Public and Private Sector 2008 by MOSTI.

For further information regarding this product, please contact : Professor Dr Mohd Hair Bejo
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Universiti Putra Malaysia
E-mail : mdhair@upm.edu.my
Telephone No : +603 8609 3888