Comparative Immunopathological Study of Various Intra-Cloacal Infectious Bursal Disease Vaccine Doses.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Avian and Rabbit Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Egypt

Abstract

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a contagious immunosuppressive viral infection of young chickens. Intra-cloacal approach is effective for vaccinating chicks with high maternally derived IBD antibodies; however, the vaccinal traditional dose may be unsuitable for this route. A total of 60 one-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicks were randomly distributed into four groups. Group-1: was control and chicks in group-2: were vaccinated with 103.5 TCID50 of D78 strain/ bird via intra-cloacal route, chicks in group-3: were vaccinated with a ten-fold higher dose (104.5 TCID50/bird) and chicks in group-4: were vaccinated with a dose of 102.5 TCID50 of D78 strain/bird using same approach. IBD antibody titers were measured at the 14th and 21st days of age. The immunosuppressive effects of different doses were determined through humoral immune response to avian influenza and Newcastle disease vaccines, the relative weight of primary lymphoid organs, and histopathologically evaluated bursal lesions. The results indicated that a dose even ten-fold higher than the usual dose to SPF chicks via intra-cloacal route caused neither morbidity nor mortality. All vaccine doses induced potent immune responses against IBD, but the highest IBD antibodies titers were observed in group-4 while IBD antibodies titers were decreased with increasing vaccine doses in other experimental groups. Even the vaccinated birds showed moderate histopathological lesions and the diminutive relative weight of bursae; there was no immunosuppressive effect in the immune response to other vaccines in group-4 and transient immunosuppressive effect in groups-2 and-3. All that proves the safety and effectiveness of various intra-cloacal vaccination approach doses.

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