Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center

• PDRC Home
• 50-year Anniversary Celebration
• Graduate Programs
  • Masters of Avian Medicine
  • Masters of Avian Health and Medicine
  • MS Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
• Diagnostic Lab
• Faculty
• Staff
• Assistant Research Scientists
• Online Documents
• National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) Workshops
• Spring Semester 2012 Seminars
• Map/Directions to PDRC

Professor Emeritus Poultry Diagnostic Research Center 953 College Station Road Athens, Georgia 30602-4875 706.542.5085 e-mail: pedrov@uga.edu

Elanco Presentation
Control Of Respiratory Diseases In Chickens
Respiratory Challenges In Broilers And Breeders
Avian Mycoplasmas And Methods Of Control
Broiler Management and Housing

Dr. Villegas' Lab Manual

Education:
DVM Univ. of Tolima, Colombia
Msc Texas A&M, College Station, Texas
Ph.D. The University of Georgia

Areas of Interest:
Avian Viruses.

Recent Publications:

Perozo, Francisco, P. Villegas, C. Estevez, I. Alvarado, L. Purvis, and E. Saume. Avian Adeno-associated virus Based Expression of Newcastle Disease Virus Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Protein for Poultry Vaccination. Avian Dis. 52:252-259, 2008.

Perozo, Francisco, P. Villegas, C. Estevez, I. Alvarado, S. Williams, and L. Purvis. Protection against Infectious Bursal Disease Challenge conferred by a Recombinant Avian Adeno-Associated Virus Vaccine. Avian Dis. 52:315-319, 2008.

Perozo, Francisco, P. Villegas, R. Dolz, C. L. Afonso, and L. Purvis. The VG/GA strain of Newcastle disease virus: mucosal immunity, protection against lethal challenge and molecular analysis. Avian Path. 37:237-245, 2008.

Banda, Alejandro, P. Villegas, L. Purvis, and F. Perozo. Protection Conferred by Coarse Spray Vaccination against the Challenge with Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Commercial Broilers. Avian Dis. 52:297-301, 2008.

Perozo, Francisco, R. Merino, C. L. Afonso, P. Villegas and N. Calderon. Biological and Phylogenetic Characterization of Virulent Newcastle Disease Viruses Circulating in Mexico. Avian Dis. 52:472-479, 2008.

Perozo, Francisco, Pedro Villegas, Claudio L. Afonso. Genomic comparison of the complete coding and intergenic regions of the VG/GA Newcastle Disease Virus and its respirotropic clone 5. Virus Genes, Electronic version, June 2008.

Barbosa, Taylor, G. Zavala, S. Cheng, and P. Villegas. Pathogenicity and transmission of Reticuloendotheliosis virus isolated from endangered prairie chickens. Avian Dis. 51:33-39, 2007.

Alvarado, I. R., P. Villegas, J. El-Attrache, E. Jensen, G. Rosales, F. Perozo and L. B. Purvis. Genetic Characterization, Pathogenicity and Protection Studies with an Avian Adenovirus Isolate Associated with Inclusion Body Hepatitis. Avian Dis. 51:27-32, 2007.

Perozo, Francisco, P. Villegas, C. Estevez, I. Alvarado, and L. Purvis. A Recombinant Avian Adeno-Associated Virus as a Vector for Infectious Bursal Disease Vaccination. Revista Cientifica (Peer reviewed), Univ. of Zulia, College of Veterinary Medicine, 17:1-5, 2007.

Hamoud, Mohamed M., Pedro Villegas and Susan M. Williams. Detection of infectious bursal disease virus from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue by immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. J. Vet. Diagnostic Investigation 19:35-42, 2007.

Estevez, Carlos., and P. Villegas. Recombinant Avian Adeno-Associated Virus: Transgene Expression in vivo and Enhancement of Expression in vitro. Avian Dis. 50:216-221. 2006.

Perozo, Francisco., P. Villegas, C. Estevez, I. Alvarado, and L. Purvis. Use of FTA filter paper for the molecular detection of Newcastle Disease Virus. Avian Path. 35: 93-98, 2006.

Alvarado, I., P. Villegas, J. El-Attrache, M. W. Jackwood. Detection of Massachusetts and Arkansas Serotypes of Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Broilers. Avian Dis. 50:292-297, 2006.

Barbosa T., G. Zavala, S. Cheng, and Pedro Villegas. Full genome sequence and some biological properties of reticuloendotheliosis virus strain APC-566 isolated from endangered Attwater’s prairie chickens. Virus Research (Epub ahead of print), 94313 p1-10, 2006.

Barbosa T. G. Zavala, S. Cheng, T. Lourenço, and P. Villegas. Effects of reticuloendotheliosis virus on the viability and reproductive performance of Japanese quail. JAPR, in press.

Perozo, F., Villegas, P., Estevez, C., Alvarado, I. and Purvis, L. Utilization of FTA® cards for the molecular diagnostic of Newcastle disease virus in allantoic fluid samples. (Use of the FTA cards for the molecular diagnosis of Newcastle disease virus in samples of allantoid fluid). Revista científica de la FCV / LUZ. (Venezuela). Vol. XVI, No. 2, 118-123. 2006.

Hernandez-Divers, Sonia, P. Villegas, F. Prieto, J. C. Unda, N. Stedman, B. Ritchie, R. Carroll, and S. Hernandez-Divers. A Survey of Selected Avian Pathogens of Backyard Poultry in Northwestern Ecuador. J. of Avian Medicine and Surgery 20:147-158. 2006.

Estevez, Carlos., and P. Villegas. Recombinant Avian Adeno-Associated Virus: Transgene Expression in vivo and Enhancement of Expression in vitro. Avian Dis. 50:216-221. 2006.

Purvis, Linda, P. Villegas, and F. Perozo. Evaluation of FTA paper and phenol for storage, extraction and molecular characterization of infectious bursal disease virus. J. Virological Methods 138:66-69, 2006.

Hamoud, Mohamed M., and Pedro Villegas. Identification of infectious bursal disease viruses from RNA extracted from paraffin embedded tissue. Avian Dis. 50:476-482. 2006.

Alvarado, I. R., P. Villegas, N. Mossos, and M. W. Jackwood. Molecular Characterization of Avian Infectous Bronchitis Virus Strains Isolated in Colombia During 2003. Avian Dis. 494-499, 2005.

Alvarado, I., P. Villegas, J. El-Attrache, M. W. Jackwood. Detection of Massachusetts and Arkansas Serotypes of Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Broilers. Avian Dis. Dec. 2005.

Villegas, Pedro. Inclusion Body Hepatitis – Hydropericardium Syndrome. In: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 9th edition. Pp 2198, 2199. 2005.

Villegas, Pedro. Egg drop Syndrome. In: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 9th edition. 2294-2296. 2005.

Banda, Alejandro, and P. Villegas. Genetic Characterization of Very Virulent Infectious Bursal Disease Viruses (vvIBDV) from Latin America. Avian Dis. 48:540-549. 2004.

Banda, Alejandro, P. Villegas, and J. El-Attrache. Heteroduplex Mobility Asssay for Genotyping Infectious Bursal Disease Virus. Avian Dis. 48:851-862. 2004.

Estevez, Carlos., and P. Villegas. Sequence Analysis, Viral Rescue from Infectious Clones, and Generation of Recombinant Virions of the Avian Adeno-Asssociated Virus. Virus Res. 105:195-208, 2004.