Infectious Bursal Agent Vaccination of Chicks from Infectious Bursal Agent-vaccinated Dams

Chicks from infectious bursal agent-vaccinated broiler breeders were vaccinated with a commercial infectious bursal agent vaccine at intervals after hatching. Bursas from some of these chicks were examined for infectious bursal agent-specific fluorescence four days after vaccination and bursas from others were examined for histological lesions of infectious bursal disease 21 days after vaccination. Serological studies were conducted to determine if active immunity to infectious bursal agent followed vaccination.Chicks failed to develop immunity if their levels of maternally-derived serum neutralizing antibody were in excess of approximately log(2) 7 at the time of vaccination. When antibody titres fell below this level, vaccination usually resulted in infectious bursal agent virus replication in the bursa and consequential bursal damage but was followed by development of active immunity.     

Laryngotracheitis in chickens: infection studies and the efficacy of a tissue-culture vaccine in chicks less than four weeks old

Challenge studies using the standard National Veterinary Services Laboratory laryngotracheitis (LT) challenge virus (Log 10(6.7) EID50 per ml) were conducted to assess the presence of maternal protection in chicks of various ages (1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days). Chicks from vaccinated and unvaccinated breeders were challenged by intratracheal inoculation. Chicks of all these ages irrespective of origin were susceptible to infection. Similarly derived chicks were vaccinated by eyedrop with a commercially available tissue-culture vaccine. Chicks vaccinated at 21 and 28 days were adequately protected from challenge (77-94% protection), whereas less than 60% of chicks vaccinated at 1, 7, or 14 days were protected.     

种鸡接种网状内皮组织增生病病毒弱毒疫苗的安全性和免疫效果观察

在正常饲养条件下，在肉种鸡鸡群中试用网状内皮增生病病毒（reticuloendotheliosis virus，REV）的弱毒疫苗，观察其对体重增长、产蛋生产性能、对其他疫苗应答有无影响。同时连续定期测定种鸡血清REV抗体，并测试抗体阳性鸡的后代有无病毒垂直传播。结果表明，该疫苗接种18周龄种鸡后，对生长、产蛋率、受精率和孵化率等生产性能均无不良影响，对正常疫苗免疫的抗体应答也无影响。经免疫接种REV弱毒疫苗的种鸡，在开产后及产蛋高峰期，均不表现病毒的垂直传播。免疫种鸡后，其激发的抗体可持续280d以上，且雏鸡血清中母源抗体可持续至少7d。结果表明，该REV弱毒在开产前种鸡应用时有很高的安全性，并能为雏鸡提供足够的特异性母源抗体。     

Effect of breeder vaccination on immunization of progeny against Newcastle disease

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of breeder vaccination program and maternal antibody on the efficacy of Newcastle disease immunization of 1-day-old chicks. Experimental protocol was the same for both. In the first experiment, broilers were from breeders that were 32 weeks old, and in the second experiment, broilers were from breeders 50 weeks old. Breeders received three live Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccines and either a killed vaccine at 18 weeks or continual live boosting at 60-to-70-day intervals through lay. Broilers were vaccinated at 1 day of age with a commercial coarse-spray machine; they were bled, sera were examined for antibody against NDV, and broilers were challenged with virulent NDV at 2, 4, and 6 weeks of age. In the first experiment, maternal antibody was higher in chicks from the younger breeders given the inactivated vaccine, and in the second experiment maternal antibody was higher in chicks from older breeders given continual live vaccines. Higher antibody in 1-day-old broilers resulted in fewer vaccine-induced reactions, less vaccine virus shed, and decreased duration of vaccine-induced immunity from coarse-spray vaccination.     

Effect of maternal antibody on timing of initial vaccination of young white leghorn chickens against infectious bursal disease virus

Maternal antibody titers in white leghorn chicks against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) were measured by a computer-assisted, single-serum-dilution, indirect kinetic-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (KELISA) and by a virus-neutralization (VN) test in order to predict the timing of initial vaccination. Day-old white leghorns were from unvaccinated pullets or from pullets vaccinated either four times or twice with IBDV commercial vaccines. The chicks were immunized once via the drinking water with a commercial "intermediate" live IBDV vaccine at 1, 15, or 28 days of age. Effective initial immunization was confirmed by an increase in antibody to IBDV (serologic conversion) that occurred when maternal antibody decreased to 8 and 9 on a log2 scale. This concentration of antibody was detected between 24 and 28 days of age. The computer-assisted IBDV-KELISA increased the sample processing speed for detecting IBDV antibody, and it was as sensitive as the VN test for predicting the timing of initial IBDV vaccination.     

Effects of an Arkansas strain of infectious bronchitis vaccine on the head-associated lymphoid tissue (HALT).

Chicks were vaccinated with an Arkansas strain of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccine when they were 1 day (Trial 1) or 4 weeks old (Trial 2). Starting at 4 weeks 3 days of age, chicks in both trials were subjected to an assay that measures the immunofunctional response of the gland of Harder (GH), one of the components of the head-associated lymphoid tissue (HALT). The assay involved multiple ocular exposures to killed Brucella abortus antigen, after which tears were collected and titered for antibodies to B. abortus. Following this, select tissues from vaccinated and unvaccinated chicks were collected and examined microscopically for specific lesions. Both functional and structural alterations were detected in the HALT of IBV-vaccinated chicks. Antibody titers to B. abortus in vaccinated chicks were significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than in unvaccinated controls. Structurally, there were elevations (P less than 0.01) in the number of lymphoid cells and follicles found in the mucosal lining of the nasal cavity. This occurred in the vaccinated chicks of both trials. Otherwise, histologic changes were confined to the chicks vaccinated at 4 weeks of age (Trial 2). In that trial, there were elevations in lymphoid-cell and follicle numbers in the eyelid (P less than 0.01) and lacrimal gland (P less than 0.05).     

Influence of maternal immunity on vaccine efficacy and susceptibility of one day old chicks against Egyptian highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1

In Egypt, continuous circulation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses of clade 2.2.1 in vaccinated commercial poultry challenges strenuous control efforts. Here, vaccine-derived maternal AIV H5 specific immunity in one-day old chicks was investigated as a factor of vaccine failure in long-term blanket vaccination campaigns in broiler chickens. H5 seropositive one-day old chicks were derived from breeders repeatedly immunized with a commercial inactivated vaccine based on the Potsdam/H5N2 strain. When challenged using the antigenically related HPAIV strain Italy/98 (H5N2) clinical protection was achieved until at least 10 days post-hatch although virus replication was not fully suppressed. No protection at all was observed against the Egyptian HPAIV strain EGYvar/H5N1 representing a vaccine escape lineage. Other groups of chicks with maternal immunity were vaccinated once at 3 or 14 days of age using either the Potsdam/H5N2 vaccine or a vaccine based on EGYvar/H5N1. At day 35 of age these chicks were challenged with the Egyptian HPAIV strain EGYcls/H5N1 which co-circulates with EGYvar/H5N1 but does not represent an antigenic drift variant. The Potsdam/H5N2 vaccinated groups were not protected against EGYcls/H5N1 infection while, in contrast, the EGYvar/H5N1 vaccinated chicks withstand challenge with EGYvar/H5N1 infection. In addition, the results showed that maternal antibodies could interfere with the immune response when a homologous vaccine strain was used.     

Comparison of a kinetic-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (KELISA) and virus-neutralization test for infectious bursal disease virus. II. Decay of maternal antibody in progeny from white Leghorns receiving various vaccination regimens

A computer-assisted single-serum-dilution indirect kinetic-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (KELISA) was used for quantitating the natural decay rate of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) maternal antibody in progeny obtained from white leghorn breeders. The KELISA results were compared with those of a standard virus-neutralization (VN) test. Pullets were subjected to two IBDV immunization regimens. Group 1 was vaccinated at weeks 0, 2, and 10 with two live vaccines in drinking water and at week 20 with an oil-emulsified (SC) IBDV vaccine, group 2 received only the first and last immunizations, and group 3 served as the unvaccinated control. Pullets were artificially inseminated at 28 weeks of age. Progeny chicks from each group were bled every other day for 47 days. Both KELISA and VN test detected linear relationship in the decay of maternal antibodies. The VN test detected no significant differences (P greater than 0.05) in the IBDV maternal antibody titers at day 1 or in the rate of decay between the progeny from groups 1 and 2. The VN maternal antibody titers decreased at a rate of 0.16 log2 titer per day. In contrast, KELISA revealed higher IBDV maternal antibody titers in day-old progeny from pullets vaccinated 4 times (log2 = 14.3). However, KELISA titers of progeny from this group decreased at a faster rate than titers of progeny from pullets vaccinated twice (0.20 vs. 0.13 log2 titer per day).     

Challenge study on infectious bursal disease in chicks derived from vaccinated hens

Presence and levels of maternal antibody (MA) in broiler chicks derived from hens vaccinated with a live infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine were investigated by a quantitative agar-gel precipitin test. At day old 100% of the chicks tested had MA; by 17 days of age it was present in only 10%. The mean MA level at day old was 337.5 UK units/ml but decreased to 6.3 UK units/ml at 17 days of age. Randomly selected chicks from the pool studied were challenged at weekly intervals from day old for 29 days with an IBD virus obtained from a natural outbreak. Subclinical and clinical disease were observed in chicks challenged at eight and 29 days of age respectively.     

Passively transferred immunity to IBD following live vaccination of parent chickens by two different routes

Vaccination of broiler breeder parents with live infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine by the oral route resulted in higher and more persistent quantitative gel diffusion precipitins than vaccination by intramuscular injection. All the progeny of the orally vaccinated parents had maternally derived IBD antibody (MDA) at hatching while MDA was detected in only 35 per cent of the progeny of the intramuscularly vaccinated parents. This MDA had disappeared completely at 14 and eight days respectively. Susceptibility to IBD challenge began at eight days in the first group and at one day old in the second. The age of 100 per cent susceptibility occurred at 19 and 11 days in the respective groups.     

Immunization of broiler breeder chickens against Newcastle disease with an oil-emulsion vaccine

Antibody response was rapid and high in broiler breeder chickens receiving 1 or 2 vaccinations with oil-emulsion vaccine against Newcastle disease at 23 or at 23 and 26 weeks old. The antibody titers remained high during the 41-week experimental period. At 64 weeks old, about 41 weeks after vaccination, the geometric mean hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titer was 67 from the single vaccination, and 103 from the double vaccination. The immune response to live-virus vaccine given at 2, 9, 20, 30, 42, or 54 weeks of age via the drinking water was high, but uniformity was lacking in the antibody response in the breeders and maternal antibody response in the progeny. Maternal antibody levels in one-day-old chicks were related to the titers of antibody in the dams. Maternal antibody titers of chicks originated from breeder flocks that were vaccinated with the oil-emulsion vaccine remained high for all hatches.     

Packed cell volume reference intervals to aid in the diagnosis of anemia and polycythemia in young leghorn chickens.

Packed cell volume (PCV) reference intervals were established for use in diagnosing anemia and polycythemia in young chickens. Blood samples were collected from 3-to-35-day-old specific-pathogen-free leghorn chicks. PCVs were determined and analyzed. PCVs regressed significantly (P less than 0.0001) on age, which shows that neonatal physiologic anemia occurs in chicks as well as in mammals. The definition for anemia in chicks varies with age. We defined anemia as a PCV less than or equal to 23%, 25%, 26%, 28%, 31%, and 30%, respectively, for chicks 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days old. We defined polycythemia as a PCV greater than or equal to 36%, 37%, 38%, 37%, 41%, and 40%, respectively, for chicks 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days old. Healthy chicks have PCVs within established reference intervals. Results provide guidelines to detect anemia and polycythemia in young leghorn chicks of various ages.     

Vaccination of turkey breeder hens and toms for fowl cholera with CU strain

Unvaccinated laying breeder hens and semen-producing toms were susceptible to the CU strain of Pasteurella multocida and highly susceptible to a virulent strain of P. multocida. Laying breeders vaccinated with CU strain when environmental temperatures were low ceased egg production during the first week after vaccination and had 29% mortality, whereas those vaccinated when temperatures were moderate had only a 25% decrease in egg production and 17% mortality. Comparable nonlaying breeders vaccinated during moderate temperatures did not die. Although few semen-producing toms died postvaccination and the quantity and quality of semen was not affected, 21.7% developed torticollis. Laying breeders were protected against CU vaccine and challenge with virulent P. multocida if vaccinated every 4 weeks beginning when 7 weeks old. Potential breeders vaccinated before laying with combinations of 3 vaccinations via drinking water, wing-web puncture, or inoculation into the air spaces of the head through the auditory tube were protected against challenge after the onset of laying. However, vaccination via wing-web puncture at 25 weeks of age resulted in abscesses that failed to resolve. The combination of vaccinations most effective in protecting laying breeders was vaccination in the drinking water at 7 and 11 weeks and inoculation into the air spaces of the head at 15 weeks.     

Embryo vaccination with infectious bursal disease virus alone or in combination with Marek's disease vaccine

Studies with specific-pathogen-free chickens revealed that chicks hatching from eggs inoculated at the 18th day of embryonation with infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine viruses of low virulence (isolates TC-IBDV and BVM-IBDV) developed antibody against IBD virus (IBDV) and resisted challenge with virulent IBDV at 3 weeks of age or older. Embryo vaccination did not adversely affect hatchability of chicks or survival of hatched chicks. Chicks embryonally vaccinated with TC-IBDV had transient histologic lesions in the bursa of Fabricius at hatch. Similar but milder lesions were also noted in chickens that received TC-IBDV at hatch. The level of protection following embryo vaccination with TC-IBDV and BVM-IBDV was similar to that following vaccination with the same vaccines at hatch. Vaccine viruses of moderate virulence (isolates BV-IBDV and 2512-IBDV) were not suitable as vaccines in embryos lacking maternal antibody to IBDV, because the vaccinated chicks developed acute IBD after hatch. Isolate 2512-IBDV was not pathogenic for embryos bearing maternal antibody to IBDV. Maternal antibody against IBDV interfered with efficacy of embryo vaccination with BVM-IBDV but not with 2512-IBDV. Embryo vaccination with a mixture of vaccines against IBD and Marek's disease resulted in protection of hatched chicks against challenge with virulent IBDV and Marek's disease virus.     

肉鸡接种传染性法氏囊病活疫苗的抗体水平检测

为了确定肉鸡进行IBD活疫苗免疫的最佳日龄,90只肉鸡随机平均分成6组,分别于10、13、17日龄进行IBD活疫苗CH/80和法倍灵免疫接种,剂量为1.5羽份.免疫后10 d、21 d用IDEXX试剂盒检测ELISA抗体滴度.同时设对照组,分别于2、10、17、24、31、38日龄用IDEXX试剂盒检测ELISA抗体滴度.试验组和对照组均于38日龄时进行新城疫(ND)抗体检测.抗体检测发现,各试验组免疫接种后10d ELISA阳性率均小于50%,免疫接种后21 d检测发现,A组和B组ELISA抗体阳性率分别为71.4%和78.5%;C、D、E、F组ELISA抗体阳性率均为100%,而且抗体滴度明显高于A、B组;对照组IBD母源抗体逐渐下降,大约每7 d为1个半衰期,至31日龄鸡群IBD抗体均为阴性;试验组和对照组38日龄ND抗体滴度无显著差异(P>O.05).结果表明,试验用鸡于13日龄进行IBD活疫苗免疫接种效果较好,两种IBD活疫苗免疫接种效果没有显著差异.     

母源抗体对同源及异源禽网状内皮增生病病毒感染诱发免疫抑制的预防作用

蛋用型海兰褐母鸡在用网状内皮增生病病毒（REV）细胞适应毒REV-C99（p30）免疫接种后,均在2周内产生REV特异性抗体。来自免疫种鸡的雏鸡在7日龄内100%（10/10）REV母源抗体阳性。分别在有母源抗体和没有母源抗体的1日龄鸡接种与疫苗株同源的低传代毒REV-C99（p3）或异源的REV中国野毒株HA9901（p5）,以此比较母源抗体对同源和异源REV病毒感染造成的免疫抑制的预防作用。结果表明,REV母源抗体能同等有效地预防同源和异源REV感染造成的对H5和H9禽流感灭活疫苗HI抗体反应的抑制作用。     

Does multiple oral vaccination of wild boar against classical swine fever (CSF) have a positive influence on the immunity?

We studied the efficacy of multiple vaccinations of wild boar against classical swine fever (CSF) using a C-strain vaccine. The study consisted of two experiments. In the first experiment, 7 to 8 months old animals were vaccinated either three or four times at an interval of 7 days or twice at an interval of 14 or 28 days. In the second experiment, the efficacy of oral immunisation in young boars (3 months old) was examined after fivefold vaccination at intervals of 14 or 28 days. Independently of the immunisation scheme all wild boar developed neutralising antibodies. An evaluation of the antibody titres 28 days after the initial vaccine application showed that single vaccination and triple immunisation at an interval of 7 days induced the highest antibody titres (X > or = 1/80). In multiple vaccinated young boars (vaccinated at intervals of 14 or 28 days) the third vaccination led to a slight reduction or to an only moderate increase of the antibody titre. In a challenge study after the fifth vaccination all wild boar were protected (no viraemia, no virus excretion, no post-mortem virus detection in organs). This was confirmed by the fact that sentinel animals were not affected. Although other immunisation schemes also were effective, booster vaccination at an interval of 28 days is recommended as basic procedure for eradication of CSF in wild boar. Triple vaccination might also be used at the beginning of the control measures.     

Use of an inactivated infectious bursal disease oil emulsion vaccine in commercial layer chicks.

Commercial layer chicks of different ages were inoculated with either one-fifth, two-fifths or a full dose of an inactivated infectious bursal disease oil emulsion vaccine and then challenged with virulent virus. The partial doses given at seven or 10 days old gave only partial protection. A full dose given at 10, 14 or 28 days old failed to give full protection but a full dose administered at seven days old protected all the chicks after each challenge.