Thermostable Newcastle disease vaccines in Tanzania

Abstract

The V4 thermostable Newcastle disease vaccine was tested under village conditions in Central Tanzania. The vaccination regimes were four vaccinations by eye drop (eye drop group), one vaccination by eye drop followed by three vaccinations by drinking water (drinking water group), one vaccination by eye drop followed by three vaccinations with vaccine supplied on boiled sorghum (food vaccine group) and no vaccine (control group). Antibody responses in the eye drop and drinking water groups suggested that at least 70% of the chickens would be protected against challenge with virulent virus. In both groups, eight of the 11 chickens survived laboratory challenge. Only three of the 11 chickens in the food vaccine group resisted challenge, and none of the 10 control chickens.