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Vaccination to Control Fowl Cholera in Commercial Poultry peritonitis, pneumonia, or swollen wattles filled with caseated exudate.

Vaccines are effective against fowl cholera, but of equal, or perhaps greater importance, is rodent control. Fowl cholera is a disease that gets out of control because of improper hygiene and inadequate rodent control.

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By John R. Glisson, DVM, MAM, PhD, Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health College of Veterinary Medicine University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602

Pasteurella multocida is the etiologic agent of fowl cholera, an acute or chronic bacterial septicemia of chickens, turkeys, quail, ducks, and other birds. The acute disease is characterized by high mortality. Lesions in affected birds may be totally unapparent or consist of an enlarged liver and spleen, petechial hemorrhages on internal organs or fibrinopurulent pneumonia. Mortality in the chronic disease is normally much lower and lesions may consist of purulent arthritis, encephalitis, osteomyelitis,

Vaccination to Control Fowl Cholera in Commercial Poultry, p.1

Pasteurella multocida is not a normal organism found in poultry houses. The organism is, however, a common inhabitant of the oral cavity of many animals including rats, mice, cats, and dogs, as well as many species of wild animals. It is felt that the initial introduction of P. multocida into a poultry house is by one of these animals, particularly rodents and cats. It is therefore very important to maintain a hygiene program that minimizes contact between rodents, cats, and poultry. The single-most important measure for controlling fowl cholera may be rodent control. Many companies use cats inside breeder houses to control rodents; and, in some instances, this program is successful. The P. multocida isolates that are typically isolated from cats are not typical of the isolates that infect chickens. However, once a P. multocida strain that

Accidental Self-Injection of Oil Emulsion Vaccines, p.3

is pathogenic for poultry is introduced into a flock, the cats, as well as the poultry, will become contaminated and the cats will then become a reservoir for the organism. In this situation, it is important to get rid of the cats before a new breeder flock is brought to that house. Currently, fowl cholera remains one of the most important bacterial diseases of chickens and turkeys. In many companies, fowl cholera is the most costly disease of broiler breeders. Most broiler breeders in the United States are vaccinated. Turkeys appear to be more susceptible to the disease, and it has caused serious losses to several companies in recent years. By instituting strict biosecurity measures and good hygiene procedures, many turkey companies have been able to eliminate vaccination in commercial turkeys on particular farms in certain geographic locations. However, vaccination of commercial turkeys and turkey breeders is still practiced.

Notes from the CEO, p.4

Pasteurella multocida is the etiologic agent of fowl cholera, an acute or chronic bacterial septicemia of chickens, turkeys, quail, ducks, and other birds. The acute disease is characterized by high mortality. Lesions in affected birds may be totally unapparent or consist of an enlarged liver and spleen, petechial hemorrhages on internal organs or fibrinopurulent pneumonia. Mortality in the chronic disease is normally much lower and lesions may consist of purulent arthritis, encephalitis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, pneumonia, or swollen wattles filled with caseated exudate. Pasteurella multocida is not a normal organism found in poultry houses. The organism is, however, a common inhabitant of the oral cavity of many animals including rats, mice, cats, and dogs, as well as many species of wild animals. It is felt that the initial introduction of P. multocida into a poultry house is by one of these animals, particularly rodents and cats. It is therefore very important to maintain a hygiene program that minimizes contact between rodents, cats, and poultry. The singlemost important measure for controlling fowl cholera may be rodent control. Many companies use cats inside breeder houses to control rodents; and, in some instances, this program is successful. The P. multocida isolates that are typically isolated from cats are not typical of the isolates that infect chickens. However, once a P. multocida strain that is pathogenic for poultry is introduced into a flock, the cats, as well as the poultry, will become contami-

nated and the cats will then become a reservoir for the organism. In this situation, it is important to get rid of the cats before a new breeder flock is brought to that house. Currently, fowl cholera remains one of the most important bacterial diseases of chickens and turkeys. In many companies, fowl cholera is the most costly disease of broiler breeders. Most broiler breeders in the United States are vaccinated. Turkeys appear to be more susceptible to the disease, and it has caused serious losses to several companies in recent years. By instituting strict biosecurity measures and good hygiene procedures, many turkey companies have been able to eliminate vaccination in commercial turkeys on particular farms in certain geographic locations. However, vaccination of commercial turkeys and turkey breeders is still practiced. To understand the principles of fowl cholera vaccination, it is important to also understand the relevance of the serotyping system for P. multocida. There are 16 serotypes of P. multocida, numbered 1-16. Many isolates have characteristics of more than one serotype. For example, serotype 3, 4 has characteristics of serotype 3 and serotype 4. The most common serotypes encountered in poultry are 1, 3, and 4 or combinations of those serotypes, such as 1, 3 or 3, 4. In recent surveys, serotype 3, 4 has often been found to be the most common serotype isolated from both chickens and turkeys. Inactivated fowl cholera vaccines (bacterins), induce protection only against

the serotypes of the isolates included in the bacterin. Since it is impractical to include all P. multocida serotypes in a bacterin and since only a few serotypes commonly cause disease in poultry, most commercially available fowl cholera bacterins contain serotypes, 1, 3 and 4. These products, therefore, provide protection against only serotypes 1, 3, and 4, but work well in some cases since these are the most important serotypes in commercial poultry. Since serotype 3, 4 is so common in our industry, bacterins are now available that contain a serotype 3, 4 isolate. These products provide an improvement in protection against virulent serotype 3, 4 isolates. In contrast, live P. multocida vaccines give broad protection against many serotypes, and all of the live vaccines are serotype 3, 4. There are three commercially available live vaccines, the Clemson University (CU) strain, PM-1, and M-9. CU is the most virulent, M-9 is the mildest, and PM-1 is intermediate in virulence. These products can be used orally in turkeys but must be injected by wing-web stab in chickens. Also, the live vaccines spread from bird-to-bird more easily in turkeys than chickens. Although these products provide broad protection, they also have the capability to induce chronic fowl cholera. Autogenous bacterins are a third type of vaccine used to control fowl cholera. Autogenous bacterins are custommanufactured inactivated vaccines which contain an isolate(s) that originated from a case of fowl cholera on a particular farm or complex and their use is restricted to that particular site. Often, companies find that certain farms or complexes continually have cases of fowl cholera caused by unusual serotypes such as 7 or 12. Autog-

To understand the principles of fowl cholera vaccination, it is important to also understand the relevance of the serotyping system for P. multocida. There are 16 serotypes of P. multocida, numbered 1-16. Many isolates have characteristics of more than one serotype. For example, serotype 3, 4 has characteristics of serotype 3 and serotype 4. The most common serotypes encountered in poultry are 1, 3, and 4 or combinations of those serotypes, such as 1, 3 or 3, 4. In recent surveys, serotype 3, 4 has often been found to be the most common serotype isolated from both chickens and turkeys. Inactivated fowl cholera vaccines (bacterins), induce protection only against the serotypes of the isolates included in the bacterin. Since it is impractical to include all P. multocida serotypes in a bacterin and since only a few serotypes commonly cause disease in poultry, most commercially available fowl cholera bacterins contain serotypes, 1, 3 and 4. These products, therefore, provide protection against only serotypes 1, 3, and 4, but work well in some cases since these are the most important serotypes in commercial poultry. Since serotype 3, 4 is so common in our industry, bacterins are now available that contain a serotype 3, 4 isolate. These products provide an improvement in protection against virulent serotype 3, 4 isolates. In contrast, live P. multocida vaccines give broad protection against many serotypes, and all of the live vaccines are serotype 3, 4. There are three commercially available live vaccines, the Clemson University (CU) strain, PM-1, and M-9. CU is the most virulent, M-9 is the mildest, and PM-1 is intermediate in virulence. These prod-

Accidental Self-Injection of Oil Emulsion Vaccines ucts can be used orally in turkeys but must be injected by wing-web stab in chickens. Also, the live vaccines spread from bird-to-bird more easily in turkeys than chickens. Although these products provide broad protection, they also have the capability to induce chronic fowl cholera. Autogenous bacterins are a third type of vaccine used to control fowl cholera. Autogenous bacterins are custommanufactured inactivated vaccines which contain an isolate(s) that originated from a case of fowl cholera on a particular farm or complex and their use is restricted to that particular site. Often, companies find that certain farms or complexes continually have cases of fowl cholera caused by unusual serotypes such as 7 or 12. Autogenous bacterins are often used in such circumstances. Several laboratories are available to make autogenous fowl cholera bacterins but there are restrictions on their manufacture and use. The USDA requires that the isolate(s) in an autogenous bacterin must originate from flocks of the company in which the bacterin will be used. Also, autogenous bacterins cannot be combined in the same bottle with a USDA licensed fowl cholera bacterin. Use of autogenous bacterins allows companies to protect their flocks against serotypes that are not included in the conventional bacterins. Many companies that use autogenous bacterins also inject their flocks with a commercially licensed bacterin so that their flocks are also protected against the most common serotypes.

There are several strategies for successful vaccination of broiler breeders. One common program is the use of two doses of bacterin at 8-12 weeks and 16-20 weeks. The bacterins may be the commercially available tri-valent bacterin, a commercial tri-valent bacterin that also contains a serotype 3, 4 isolate or an autogenous bacterin. The programs that use commercial bacterins with the 3, 4 isolate have the advantages of the conventional bacterin programs with the addition of more protection directed at serotype 3, 4. Many companies want to gain the broad protection provided by live P. multocida vaccines but also want to avoid the possibility of live vaccineinduced chronic fowl cholera. Giving a dose of commercial tri-valent bacterin or tri-valent bacterin that also contains serotype 3, 4 at the first vaccination time, followed by a live vaccination at 16-20 weeks, can greatly reduce live vaccine-induced chronic fowl cholera. Bacterins which contain serotype 3, 4 have been particularly useful in this situation because they specifically provide immunity which helps to minimize the bacteremia (reaction) often seen following wing-web injection of live fowl cholera vaccines. Local tissue reaction at the site of injection of fowl cholera bacterins has been a problem for some companies. Because the USDA downgrades hen carcasses containing lesions in the breast muscle resulting from injection of fowl cholera bacterins, many companies are hesitant to inject inactivated vaccines into the breast. Unfortunately, intramuscular breast injection is a very accurate application site for inactivated

Notes from the CEO

Our AviPro® 108 FC4, for example, requires type 1 Pasteurella tested in chickens; types 3, 4 and 3X4 in turkeys. Hence, we require vaccinates and controls for each type. This means two groups of chickens and six groups of turkeys. All vaccinates must show the required protection level and all challenged

birds the appropriate signs of infection (death) for the serial to achieve release. Since each group must be isolated, it takes eight isolated groups for the four months required for the assay completion. To retain the leadership role we have achieved with inactivated avian vaccines, we are investing significant funds in expansion and modernization of our vast testing facility. This work is essential to assure the industry of LAH’s commitment to ensuring the availability of quality inactivated avian vaccines for the future. When you use AviPro® vaccines, you can be sure each and every serial has passed all USDA and company-required tests for purity, potency and safety before being delivered to you for use. As your avian professional partner, our goal is to help you meet and exceed your production goals by providing the most reliable, efficient and effective poultry health products in the industry.

375 China Road Winslow, Maine 04901

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207.873.3989

Dave Zacek CEO, Lohmann Animal Health

Each serial of AviPro® avian vaccine undergoes rigorous laboratory and animal testing after manufacturing. These assays assure you of safety, purity and potency. The testing can take from 60 days for live vaccines and up to six months for inactivated vaccines. For inactivated products such as our fowl cholera bacterins, challenge of susceptible birds versus vaccinates is required in both chickens and turkeys.

800.655.1342

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