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A sero-prevalence study of Newcastle disease in village chickens in Ethiopia was conducted on non-vaccinated chickens raised under traditional backyard management system. The study covered dry and wet districts in the Rift Valley and Southern regions, respectively. Higher sero-prevalence rates of Newcastle disease (NCD) virus antibodies were verified in all the dry areas of the Rift Valley and in part of the wet Southern districts. Haemagglutination Inhibition (HAI) Test was used to analyze 283 chicken sera for NCD virus antibodies and the overall sero-positive rate was found to be 19.78%, (n=283). 22.51 % ( n=191) sero positive chicken were found in the dry areas while 14.13 % (n=92) were positive in the wet areas. Comparison was made on the sero prevalence of dry and wet areas as well as between sexes. Chickens from all dry areas showed various titter of NCD antibody but sera collected from the high mountain wet areas were negative. The differences in the sero prevalence, however, were not statistically significant between the sexes and the agro climatic areas. In this study NCD virus circulation was evidenced in village chickens reared in various parts of Ethiopia.

2 Abstract: An outbreak of infectious bursal disease affecting 20-45 days old broiler and layer chickens was investigated for the first time in Ethiopia in the months of March and April 2002. Death of chickens started at the 30 day of age and continues to the 55 day. The mortality rate of the disease in different poultry houses th th ranges from 45-50 %. The over all mortality rate was 49.89%. Broiler mortality was 56.09% while 25.08% for layer chickens. The major clinical symptoms were sudden drop in feed and water consumption, sever depression, white watery droppings and mass death. Grossly, hemorrhages in leg muscles, degeneration of the pectoral muscle, white mass (Urate deposit) in kidneys and in Cloaca were frequently observed during post mortem examination. In addition, haemorrhagic & swollen bursas filled with straw colored fluid were identified in few cases. Histopathology revealed hyperplasia of the reticulo-endothelia cells and interfollicular tissue of affected bursa of fabricius. The Agar Gel Immuno Diffusion (AGID) Test detected precipitating antibodies against Infectious Bursal disease virus in sera collected from convalescent chicken. Virus cytopathic effect was observed in chicken fibroblast cells (CFC) inoculated with bursa and spleen tissue suspension of sick chicken. Vaccination failures were encountered to Newcastle disease vaccine (Clone 30). This paper probably is the first to report the occurrence of infectious bursal disease in Ethiopia as the country has been known to be free from Infectious Bursal Disease(IBD).