SPECIFIC ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN BACKYARD CHICKENS TO NEWCASTLE DISEASE THERMOSTABLE LIVE VACCINE

Abstract

    Newcastledisease (ND) is widely known poultry disease all over the world. It causes high economic losses even in backyard poultry. The purpose of present study was to estimate specific antibody response of backyard poultry chickens to thermostable vaccine of ND. Presence of antibodies before vaccination was determined by haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test and vaccine was inoculated intraoccularly to birds of vaccinated group. Blood was withdrawn at regular intervals up to 4 months and generation of specific antibodies to the ND antigen was measured by HI test. The results showed significant increase in antibody titre at 28 days time in vaccinated birds and decrease was found after three months of vaccination in the birds. The study suggests that it is necessary to follow vaccination schedule in the backyard chickens, as they are highly susceptible to ND.