Heterologous prime-boost vaccination programs against Newcastle disease virus genotype VII in chickens.

The effectiveness of two vectored ND vaccines (Innovax® ND and Vectormune® ND) was tested, in single and prime-boost vaccination programs, against challenge with velogenic NDV genotype VII, in eight chicken groups (G). G1 and G2 were control groups. G3-5 received Innovax® ND, while G6-8 received Vectormune® ND on the hatchery. Additionally, G4 and G7 received live La Sota two-weeks later, and G5 and G8 received inactivated vaccine one-week later. On the challenge day, G3 (Innovax® ND vaccine alone) had lower HI titer than G6 (Vectormune® ND vaccine alone) (p < 0.05). Boosting with inactivated vaccine instead of La Sota increased serological response. G3 had the same HI titer as G2 (positive control) but decreased viral shedding significantly after the 3rd day post challenge (d pc). G8 (Vectormune® ND plus inactivated vaccine) had 86.5 % decrease of viral shedding on the 3rd d pc, while that of G7 (Vectormune® ND plus La Sota) persisted until the 6th d pc. All regimens increased weight gain (p < 0.05), fully protected against mortality, and showed few clinical signs. Prime-boost vaccines provided significant reduction and time shortening of heterologous viral shedding.

Comparative efficacy of commercial inactivated Newcastle disease virus vaccines against Newcastle disease virus genotype VII in broiler chickens.

Newcastle disease is still causing huge economic losses and devastating outbreaks in poultry flocks despite implementation of extensive vaccination programs. Five commercial broiler chicken groups were established as G1 (non-vaccinated, non-challenged group) and G2 (non-vaccinated, challenged group), and 3 vaccinated challenged groups as G3 (vaccinated with heterologous inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV) genotype II (NDV II) vaccine), G4 (vaccinated with homologous inactivated NDV genotype VII (NDV VII) vaccine), and G5 (vaccinated with bivalent (heterologous inactivated NDV II plus H5) vaccine) were used. Challenge test was done using a velogenic NDV genotype VII (vNDV VII) at 28-d olds. Respiratory signs, greenish diarrhea, and obvious post-mortem lesions of vNDV VII appeared in all the challenged birds whether vaccinated or not. In addition, the mortality rate decreased from 93.3% in G2 to 46.7%, 53.3%, and 66.7% in G4, G5, and G3, respectively. Overall, 2 wk postchallenge; body weight loss (%) had increased mainly in G2, with some improvement in chickens in G4 followed by G5 and chickens of G3 showed the least improvement. At 28 d (day of challenge), the highest hemagglutination inhibition values were 4.3 and 5.4 log2 in chickens in G4 and G5, respectively, which increased in all groups after the challenge. Cytokine (IL-6 and IFN-γ) levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the vaccinated groups than that in the non-vaccinated group, especially in G5. Viral shedding in the trachea was higher than that in the cloacal swabs in all vaccinated and non-vaccinated challenged groups with peak shedding on the 6th day post challenge for both swabs, and the lowest viral shedding titers were observed in chickens in G5. Therefore, the use of homologous genotype NDV with inactivated vaccine conferred a higher clinical protection in terms of body weight loss and mortality against vNDV VII challenge in broiler chickens; however, the heterologous vaccine used in G5 induced the highest cell-mediated immune response and hemagglutination inhibition titers with the lowest viral shedding titer.