Effect of Acyclovir on the Viability of Chicken Embryo During the Developmental Stage

Objective: In recent years, antiviral drugs have been used widely in the glob to prevent and treat viral diseases. They injected into eggs to eliminate pathogens and prevent of egg transmission of disease, but the adverse effects of drugs have always been a major concern. There is little information available about the safety of antiviral drugs in the embryonated eggs of birds. The objective of this study was to evaluation of the effect of acyclovir on the viability of chicken embryo during the first trimester of the incubation period. Methods: Fertile chicken eggs were divided into two equal treatment groups. The phosphate buffered saline injected group and acyclovir-injected group whose individuals were injected with acyclovir solution at a dosage of 80 mg per Kg egg-weight. Embryos monitored daily during incubation until day 10 after which; they were examined for viability. Results: Results showed that all of the embryos were dead in the acyclovir-injected group. Based on findings, it is concluded that acyclovir at abovementioned concentration has a severe lethal effect on the chicken embryo. So, acyclovir egg-injection cannot be used to eliminate pathogens and prevention of egg transmission of the disease.