Cannabidiol is showing antiviral activity beyond human pathogens. In this study, CBD inhibited infectious bronchitis virus in chickens in both laboratory and live-animal models, reducing viral activity and demonstrating protective effects against infection. The findings suggest that CBD may have practical antiviral potential in poultry health and broaden the evidence that cannabinoids can act directly against viral disease. This study also highlights a possible veterinary and agricultural application for cannabidiol in managing economically important infections.

“Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a gamma coronavirus, remains the predominant pathogen affecting poultry worldwide, posing a significant threat to the poultry industry.

Cannabidiol (CBD), the primary non-psychoactive constituent of Cannabis sativa, has demonstrated diverse pharmacological properties.

This study investigated the inhibitory effects of CBD against IBV infection both in vitro and in vivo. Chicken embryo kidney (CEK) cells infected with IBV were treated with CBD at various concentrations (2–20 µM).

Our results demonstrated that CBD significantly suppressed IBV replication in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. Furthermore, in SPF chickens, CBD treatment markedly alleviated clinical symptoms, reduced tracheal and renal histopathological lesions, and significantly decreased viral loads in tissues. Transcriptomic analysis of tracheal tissue suggested that CBD may inhibit IBV infection through modulation of immune-related signaling pathways, particularly the JAK-STAT pathway and interferon-stimulated gene expression.

These findings indicate that CBD represents a promising candidate for therapeutic intervention against IBV infection.”

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00203-026-04886-7