IMMUNE RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKS TO LOCAL IBD VACCINE USING DIFFERENT ROUTES OF ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

Four groups of ten-day-old broilers each were vaccinated at 7 and 14 days post hatch (PH) against infectious bursal disease IBD, using the local IBD vaccine (VOM & Nigeria). The vaccine was administered using different routes; intramuscular, subcutaneous and oral. 10- day old broiler was randomly sampled from a group of 40 for the presence of IBD antibodies using qualitative and quantitative agar gel precipitation test (AGPT). The maternal antibodies in the chicks were variable, low and waned completely 12 days post hatch {PH). The group that received subcutaneous route of vaccination (sc/sc) gave consistently higher antibody titers than the oral and intramuscular route in post vaccination days. All the groups including the unvaccinated control were challenged 16 days post vaccination with a field strain. All the routes were appreciably protective (90%) against the field strain with the unvaccinated control group recording 30% mortality. However, subcutaneous route had a complete protection (100%). The gross and microscopic lesions seen in the study were consistent with IBDV. This study has shown that the maternal antibodies in the broiler chicks were low, variable and waned completely by 12 days post hatch. The subcutaneous route of vaccination achieved better response and protection when given at day 7 and day 14-post hatch.


(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(2): 95-97)