The efficacy of three commercial Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccines in laying hens

The efficacy of three commercial Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) immunizing agents-a bacterin, a recombinant fowlpox-MG vaccine, and a live F-strain vaccine-was compared in specific-pathogen-free hens in egg production. Three groups of 25 chickens were vaccinated with one of the vaccines at 10 wk of age and 25 birds were not vaccinated. At 25 wk of age (and approximately 50% egg production), 20 birds from each of the three vaccinated groups and 15 nonvaccinated controls were challenged with virulent R-strain via aerosol; the birds were necropsied and evaluated at 10 days post-challenge. The MG bacterin and live F-strain vaccinations were both protective and resulted in significant differences in air sac lesions, tracheal lesions, and ovarian regression compared to the nonvaccinated controls and the recombinant fowlpox-MG vaccine (P < or = 0.05). The evaluation of ovarian regression is a useful method of testing the efficacy of MG vaccines in laying hens.