Scientist in the UK are
developing a new way to vaccinate chicks against infectious bronchitis virus
(IBV) while they are still in their egg.
A pre-hatching prototype vaccine
virus which provides immunity to IBV has been developed by scientist at the
Institute for Animal Health and vaccine company, intervet UK. It can be
delivered to chicks still in the egg (in-ovo) using robotic ‘vaccinator’.
The researchers, funded by the
Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council, Department of the
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Intervet UK, used a reverse genetic
system to produce new vaccine strains. Existing strains, which are usually
delivered by less efficient spray or drinking water dosage, van prevent chicks
hatching if delivered in the egg.
The scientist have extracted a
so-called ‘spike protein’ from a pathogenic virus strain which triggers an
immune response, and incorporates it into a harmless non-pathogenic strain.
This hybrid virus was able to induce immunity when inoculated before hatching.
When hatched chicks were exposed to the virulent M41 strain, we observed
protection rates of up to 100%. We currently trying to modify the vaccine
further, in collaboration with intervet, to make it suitable for commercial
use.
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