Unraveling the genetic diversity of infectious bronchitis virus in Africa: implication for effective disease control

Abstract

SUMMARY: Infectious bronchitis is a highly contagious viral disease of poultry that causes significant economic losses on the global poultry industry. The disease is caused by the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a positive-stranded RNA virus belonging to the genus Gammacoronavirus in the family Coronaviridae. The virus exhibits high genetic diversity, currently classified into eight major genotypes (GI-GVIII) with 37 different lineages. Despite the widespread application of vaccines in many African countries, outbreaks of the disease remain prevalent on the continent, likely attributed to genetic variations between circulating field strains and vaccine strains. While several studies have reported the prevalence of various IBV genotypes in Africa, a comprehensive update on the currently circulating IBV strains in Africa has not been provided. This review delves into the ecological distribution of IBV genotypes in Africa and highlights the challenges posed by current control efforts. The way forward, including revisiting current vaccines and the application of reverse vaccinology approaches were discussed.