Immunogenicity and Safety of La Sota Strain of Newcastle Disease Virus Administered to Newly Hatched Chicks by Nebulization

Abstract

The objective of four trials performed on specific-pathogen-free and commercial chickens, either of light or heavy hybrids, was to evaluate the new vaccine delivery method to newly hatched chickens using commercial La Sota vaccine. The vaccine was given by means of nebulization using an ultrasonic device producing homologous aerosol of particles ranging 3-5 microns in diameter. Chickens were exposed to the La Sota vaccine for 30, 60 or 300 s in a closed chamber of the device, thus enabling constant particle size during vaccination. No adverse reaction to the given vaccine was recorded, and the immunity, developed no later than 7 days after vaccination, lasted for at least 49 days which was confirmed by challenge infection using Herts 33 strain of Newcastle disease virus. Maternal antibodies did not influence the development of immunity. Regarding the mode of vaccination, the described method is suitable for the control of Newcastle disease in both big poultry enterprises as well as small backyard flocks when newly hatched chickens are supplied from local hatcheries.

Immunogenicity of Newcastle disease virus strain ZG1999HDS applied oculonasally or by means of nebulization to day-old chicks

“…The aim of the study was to investigate the immunogenicity of the ZG1999HDS NDV strain applied by means of nebulization and oculonasally to one-day-old layer line chicks. The use of lentogenic strain La Sota by nebulization ( Mazija et al., 2009 , 2010 ) has shown to be simple for application in the hatchery to the newly hatched chicks, and to ensure protection of broiler chickens throughout production. It has also been shown that apathogenic enterotropic strains, such as Ulster 2C and Queensland V4, can be applied deep into the respiratory system without any vaccine reaction, and which also promoted long-term protection ( Mazija et al., 2010 ).…”

“…Previous studies of vaccine administration by means of nebulization have shown that seroconversion can be expected as early as 14 d in commercial chickens with inherited HI titers ranging from 3.5 to 5 and in SPF chickens as early as 7 d ( Mazija et al., 2009 ; Ervaćinović, 2010 ). In the mentioned study, the titer peak is after 21 d with La Sota strains, while with apathogenic strains with intestinal tropism result in measurable seroconversion in 28 d, with the titer peak 35 d after vaccination ( Mazija et al., 2010 ).…”

“…All required permits for performing the experiment were obtained (Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia, and the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia). The suspension of allantoic fluid containing strain ZG1999HDS of NDV was applied oculonasally to immunize chickens in O group with 0.02 mL of virus suspension in the right eye and nostril at a dose of 10 6 EID 50 /bird, whereas the chicks of group N were immunized by means of nebulization for 60 s, where the virus concentration was adjusted in such a way that each chicken was offered one full dose of vaccine (10 6 EID 50 ) ( Mazija et al., 2009 ). The chicks in the control group were not treated.…”

“…This spray does not cause soaking of chickens and effectively reaches the lower respiratory system ( Mazija and Štimac, 2003 . ; Mazija et al., 2009 ). The nebulization process was developed with the intention of administering the Marek's disease virus vaccine strain HVT FC126 ( Mazija and Štimac, 2003 ; Gottstein et al., 2007 , 2015 ) and thus greatly speed up the procedure otherwise done either intramuscularly or subcutaneously.…”

“…The nebulization process was developed with the intention of administering the Marek's disease virus vaccine strain HVT FC126 ( Mazija and Štimac, 2003 ; Gottstein et al., 2007 , 2015 ) and thus greatly speed up the procedure otherwise done either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Until now, live vaccine strains of NDV, Queensland V4 and Ulster 2C ( Mazija et al., 2010 ), La Sota ( Mazija et al., 2002 , 2009 ), infectious bronchitis virus, strain H120 ( Mazija et al., 2000a ), the chicken pox virus ( Mazija and Gottstein 2006 ), a pigeon pox virus ( Gottstein et al., 2004 ), and Marek's disease–HVT FC126 ( Mazija et al., 2000b ; Gottstein et al., 2007 ; Gottstein et al., 2015 ) were applied by nebulization.…”