Virulence of five live vaccines against avian infectious laryngotracheitis and their immunogenicity and spread after eyedrop or spray application.

Abstract

Five live virus vaccines against avian infectious laryngotracheitis were studied with regard to safety, immunogenicity and route of administration. Significant differences in virulence between the vaccine strains were found. Reduced virulence was accompanied by a reduction of immunogenicity and capacity to spread. After eyedrop application, a low virulent vaccine induced 90-100% flock immunity for the first 10 weeks after vaccination (PV), followed by a slow decline to 50% at 31 weeks PV, whereas flock immunity induced with the more virulent types remained at about 90% till the end of the experiments (24 and 48 weeks PV). Aerosol vaccination induced 70-100% flock immunity but vaccine reactions were severe. Application of vaccine in a coarse spray did not result in adverse vaccine reactions but induced a maximal protection rate of only 50%. Microneutralisation titres provided a useful indicator of immunity from the onset of immunity until immunity started to decline. A vaccine virus carrier state was demonstrated by means of sentinel birds.