Response of layer and broiler strain chickens to parenteral administration of a live Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine

Responses to the parenteral administration of a live aroA deletion Salmonella serovar Typhimurium vaccine given to three brown egg layer strains and two broiler strains were studied. Twenty-five birds of each strain were reared together in floor pens to 6 weeks of age and then moved as individual strains to new floor pens and injected with 108 colony forming units (CFU) per bird of the vaccine bacteria intramuscularly or subcutaneously, 106 CFU per bird subcutaneously, or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) subcutaneously as a vaccination control. Three birds of one layer strain were injected intramuscularly with 0.5mg/bird S. Typhimurium lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to evaluate whether response was similar for vaccine and endotoxin. Birds were weighed, and rectal temperatures recorded at the time of injection, then observed over 24 hours. Rectal temperatures were measured and blood samples collected for serum IL-6 assay at 3 hours post injection (PI). At 12 hours PI blood samples were drawn for analyses for plasma phosphorus (P), glucose (Glu), cholesterol (Cho), aspartate transaminase (AST), total protein (Ptn) and creatinine kinase (CK). Blood was sampled 14 days PI and tested for serum antibody to S. Typhimurium. Vaccination resulted in significant seroconversion by 14 days PI in all strains compared to the controls. The three layer strains exhibited a clinical malaise, evident within 90 minutes of injection, lasting for 12 hours, with complete recovery by 24 hours PI. Only the 108 CFU dose given subcutaneously produced an increase in rectal temperature 3 hours PI. Vaccination had no effect on IL-6 or Ptn. All vaccine doses increased P and the higher dose by either route decreased Cho in all bird strains. The 108 vaccine dose increased Glu and intramuscular injection markedly elevated CK only in the layer strains. The response was not completely congruous with that to LPS alone. The results highlight the need for consideration of differences in response of bird strain when consideration is given to the parenteral administration of live Salmonella vaccines.