Epidemiology and effect on production parameters of an outbreak of inclusion body hepatitis in broilers

In 2007, an inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) outbreak affected several broiler farms in Mississippi. Results of logistic regression analyses showed significant associations between IBH occurrence and high enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay geometric mean titers for infectious bursal disease virus. However, there was no association between IBH occurrence and chicken infectious anemia virus status. Results of linear regression model analyses showed significant associations between IBH occurrence with average weight and with cost deviation. Broiler meat production cost was $0.0058/kg more expensive to produce when IBH occurred. Although feed conversion was higher with IBH occurrence, the association was not significant. IBH onset in the first farms affected occurred between 19 and 30 days of age, whereas in the last farms affected, IBH onset occurred as early as 10 days.