Evaluation of the Serological Baseline Values of Broiler Chickens Jointly Vaccinated with Infectious Bronchitis H +...

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a highly infectious disease of chickens posing a major threat to poultry production worldwide. Due to genetic and antigenic variability, it is difficult to establish one universal protocol for vaccination against IB. The protectotype vaccination strategy, combining antigenically distinct vaccine strains, offers broader cross-protection than homologous IBV vaccination approaches. This field study aimed to establish serological baseline values in broiler chickens in a protectotype vaccination program using Avishield IB H-120 and Avishield IB GI-13, and to evaluate the program's efficacy under field conditions on commercial farms where heterologous IBV genotypes were detected. The study was conducted on 25 broiler farms in 2023-2024. Day-old chicks were vaccinated via coarse spray. Blood samples were taken from them at six weeks of age and analyzed using IDEXX and BioChek ELISAs, and cecal tonsils were tested by real-time RT-PCR. Production performance was assessed using the European production efficiency factor (EPEF), with a cut-off value of 360. No IB-related clinical signs were reported, and the mean EPEF of the included farms was 408.7. The detected IBV genotypes were Mass + 793B, 793B, and 793B + VAR2. The presence of heterologous VAR2 did not negatively impact flock health or performance. Preliminary serological baseline values for vaccinated, non-VAR2 farms were established at 891-1332 (in chicks tested with the IDEXX ELISA) and 4193-5204 (in those tested with the BioChek assay). The H-120 + GI-13 program demonstrated high field efficacy, reliable serological profiles, and cross-protection in the presence of heterologous IBV. Continuous monitoring of IBV genotypes remains essential.