Sudden and unexplained deaths among ducks have long caused major losses for farmers in Bangladesh, often forcing many to abandon duck farming altogether. To address this persistent challenge and curb the devastation caused by duck plague, a team of researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has developed two new vaccines—an “Inactivated Duck Plague Vaccine” and a “Live Attenuated Duck Plague Vaccine.” Among them, the live attenuated vaccine has already been prepared for field-level distribution to farmers.
The research team was led by Professor Dr. Md. Bahanur Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at BAU. The team also included PhD fellow Dr. Laila Yasmin, while Professor Dr. Md. Ferdous Ur Rahman Khan of the Department of Microbiology and Hygiene served as co-principal investigator.
The project was carried out under the Livestock and Dairy Development Project titled “Development of Low-Cost Inactivated and Live Attenuated Duck Plague Vaccine Using Local Duck Plague Virus,” supervised by the Department of Microbiology and Hygiene.
Professor Dr. Md. Bahanur Rahman, the lead researcher, said that both vaccines have been successfully tested, marking a major breakthrough for duck farmers in Bangladesh. On November 5, the seed of the Live Attenuated Duck Plague Vaccine was officially handed over to the Department of Livestock Services (DLS). Further research on the Inactivated Vaccine will continue in BAU laboratories.
According to Dr. Rahman, the vaccine development project began in March 2023 to combat diseases affecting the livelihood of poultry and duck farmers. Although the project was scheduled to run until March 2026, an extension has been requested. Based on previous experience, even after using traditional vaccines for duck cholera and fowlpox, mortality rates among ducks often ranged from 30 to 100 percent. This highlighted the urgent need for a new and effective vaccine. Duck plague is caused by a DNA virus that spreads through contaminated water or direct contact, attacking the liver and leading to high mortality rates.
Dr. Rahman further mentioned that while working in the haor (wetland) regions, the research team directly observed the severe impact of duck cholera and duck plague outbreaks.
Explaining the background and research methods, Dr. Rahman stated that the team first collected samples from dead ducks across different regions of the country. Postmortem examinations revealed that most of the deaths were caused by duck plague. The pathogenic virus was then propagated in embryonated duck eggs, from which the inactivated vaccine was developed.
Regarding vaccine efficacy, Dr. Rahman reported that the inactivated vaccine was experimentally applied to a group of ducks. Challenge tests showed that the inactivated vaccine provided 88 percent protection, whereas 93 percent of unvaccinated ducks died. He added that the inactivated vaccine is effective for short-term protection, while the live attenuated vaccine offers longer-lasting immunity, representing a significant advancement in duck health management in Bangladesh.
