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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #155847
Title: EVALUATION OF A COMMERCIAL AVIAN INFLUENZA (H7N2) VACCINE FOR PROTECTION IN TURKEYS AGAINST AN AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS (H7N2) ISOLATED FROM TURKEYS IN VIRGINIA DURING 2002

Author
item Tumpey, Terrence
item Kapczynski, Darrell
item Swayne, David

Submitted to: Immunology Research Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2004
Publication Date: 3/1/2004
Citation: Tumpey, T., Kapczynski, D.R., Swayne, D.E. 2004. Evaluation of a Commercial Avian Influenza (H7N2) Vaccine for Protection in Turkeys Against an Avian Influenza Virus (H7N2) Isolated From Turkeys in Virginia During 2002. Immunology Research Workshop.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: During the spring of 2002, a low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A (H7N2) virus caused a major outbreak in commercial poultry in Virginia and adjacent states. The low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus primarily affected turkey flocks causing respiratory distress and decreased egg production. Experimentally, turkeys were more susceptible than chickens to H7N2 virus infection and higher titers of infectious virus could be recovered from the oropharynx in comparison to the cloaca. The outbreak of H7N2 virus raised concerns regarding the availability of vaccines that could be used for the prevention and control of this virus in poultry. We sought to determine if an existing commercial AI vaccine prepared from a 1997 seed stock virus could provide protection against a 2002 LPAI H7N2 virus isolated from a turkey (A/Turkey/Virgina/158512/02 [TV/02]) in Virginia that was from the same lineage as the vaccine virus. The inactivated AI vaccine, prepared from A/Chicken/Pennslyvania/21342/97 (CP/97) virus, significantly reduced viral shedding from vaccinated turkeys in comparison to sham controls, but did not prevent infection. The protective effect of vaccination correlated with the level of virus-specific antibody as a second dose of vaccine increased antiviral serum IgG and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) reactivity titers in two different turkey age groups. Serum from CP/97-vaccinated turkeys reacted equally well to CP/97 and TV/02 antigens by HI and ELISA. These results demonstrate the potential benefit of using an antigenicly-related 1997 H7N2 virus as a vaccine candidate for protection in poultry against a H7N2 virus isolate from 2002.