Preparation of mycoplasma gallisepticum subunit vaccine and its evaluation in chickens

A 64 kilodalton [KD] lipoprotein was isolated from Mycoplasma gallisepticum membrane and used for preparation of subunit vaccine. Evaluation of the prepared vaccine against colonization of M. gallisepticum [MG] in chicken trachea was studied. lmmunoblot of 64 KD protein of M. gallisepticum separated by high performance liquid chromatography [HPLC] and Triton X -114 extraction, against anti - MG chicken serum proved that it is highly immunogenic protein. Sixty oneday old mycoplasma free Hubbard chicks were used. The chicks were divided into 5 groups each of tweleve chicks. Three groups were given 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg of MG vaccine then challenged one month later with 15000 CFU/0.1 ml /bird/ intratracheally. The remaining two groups were kept as negative and positive controls. Chickens vaccinated with subunit vaccine [0.5 and 0.75 mg/ bird] resulted in 100% protection against tracheal M. gallisepticum colonization. Birds of the group was vaccinated with 0.25 mg / bird [group No. 1]were positive for mycoplasma isolation up to 4 weeks post-challenge. Vaccinated groups No [2 and 3] were positive by serum plate agglutination test and ELISA along the duration of experiment. While chickens of group No [1] that vaccinated with 0.25 mg / bird gave suspected results by SPA and ELISA in the first week postchallenge, then gave positive results. Vaccination of the chickens with M. gallisepticum subunit vaccine resulted in high antibody response to 64 KD protein at 2 weeks after the booster dose

Mycoplasma infection in greater flamingo, grey chinese goose and white plican

A total of 134 zoo birds were examined for mycoplasma. Four out of 23 greater flamingo [Phoenicopterus ruber roseus] were found to be infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum [MG]. Mycoplasma gallinaceum could be isolated from grey Chinese goose [Anser cygnoides] and white pelican [Pelecanus onocrotalus] in a rate of 8% and 13.8% respectively. The electrophoretic patterns of the isolated MG field strains proved that their major protein b and s resembled that of Mycoplasma gallisepticum R-reference strain. A characteristic protein b and at the level of 60 kD [approximately] could be detected in M. gallinaceum isolates