Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248247
Title: Vaccination of SPF chickens with recombinant HVT expressing the HA from H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza protects against lethal challenge

Author
item Kapczynski, Darrell
item ESAKI, MOTO - Biomune Company
item JACKWOOD, MARK - University Of Georgia
item MOORE, KRISTI - Biomune Company

Submitted to: Western Poultry Disease Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2010
Publication Date: 4/18/2010
Citation: Kapczynski, D.R., Esaki, M., Jackwood, M.W., Moore, K.M. 2010. Vaccination of SPF chickens with recombinant HVT expressing the HA from H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza protects against lethal challenge [abstract]. Western Poultry Disease Conference. April 18-21, 2010, Vancouver, BC, Canada. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Vaccination is an important tool in the protection of poultry against avian influenza (AI). For field use, the overwhelming majority of AI vaccines produced are inactivated whole virus formulated into an oil emulsion and to a lesser degree recombinant vectored vaccines (e.g. virus expressing AI genes). In these studies, protection against lethal challenge with a H5N1 highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) isolate was determined in SPF chickens vaccinated with either cell-free or cell-associated forms of a recombinant herpes virus of turkeys (rHVT) expressing the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from a recent H5N1 HPAI virus. All vaccinated birds were protected from clinical signs of disease and mortality. In addition, oral and cloacal swabs taken from challenged birds demonstrated that vaccinated birds had lower incidence and titers of viral shedding compared to sham-vaccinated birds. Taken together, these studies provide support for the use of rHVT vaccines expressing HA to protect poultry against HPAI challenge.