- Antibacterial vaccines
Although
viral diseases are of greater overall significance, antibacterial vaccines are
also essential.
Pasteurellosis: Fowl cholera is caused by Pasteurella multocida, an acute fatal septicemia
in chickens and turkeys. P. multocida vaccines
include bacterins adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide or oil emulsions, or they
may contain attenuated live organisms. Multivalent Pasteurella vaccines usually
contain the commonest serotypes 1, 3, and 4. The inactivated vaccines are
usually given by injection. The attenuated live vaccines (M9 or PM-1 strains)
may be given by the wing web or in drinking water. Protection develops in about
two weeks.
Mycoplasmosis:These diseases are caused by several
pathogenic Mycoplasmas. The most important are Mycoplasma
gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS). MG causes chronic respiratory disease, whereas MS
causes respiratory disease or synovitis. It is generally best to maintain
mycoplasma-free flocks, but inactivated, attenuated live and fowlpox-vectored
vaccines are available for use in countries where vaccination is permitted.
A fowl pox recombinant MG vaccine is also
available. It is administered in the wing web. The use of the attenuated
vaccines has been characterized as controlled exposure by giving a mild
infection at an age when little damage occurs. Pullets are generally vaccinated
between 12 to 16 weeks of age. One dose is sufficient to make the birds
permanent carriers
Infectious coryza: This is an acute respiratory disease
of chickens caused by Avibacterium paragallinarum. It
is characterized by nasal discharge, sneezing, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and
facial swelling. Affected hens show a significant drop in egg production.
Coryza may be complicated by the simultaneous presence of many other bacteria
in addition to infectious bronchitis virus. There are three serovars of A. paragallinarum (A, B, and C).
Colibacillosis: Colibacillosis
is caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli.
This commonly starts as a respiratory infection and eventually leads to
colisepticemia, sickness, deaths, and carcass condemnation. Colibacillosis is a
leading cause of economic loss in the poultry industry.
Salmonellosis: Salmonellae present the poultry
farmer with two potential problems. One is the fact that they may kill large
numbers of birds. The other is that they may cause human food poisoning caused
by the contamination of eggs and poultry meat with Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis. This is of major concern to the poultry industry
for both legal and financial reasons. Young chickens may be infected by both
vertical and horizontal transfer and they probably acquire the infection soon
after hatching.