Studies on the effect of different immunostimulants on chick's immune response to inactivated avian influenza and Newcastle Vaccines

Newcastle Disease virus (NDV) and Avian Influenza virus (AI) are represent a great negative significant causing severe economic losses and increased mortalities worldwide. Newcastle disease (ND) and Avian Influenza (AI) vaccination were targeting to lower the losses from mortality, reduce the viral load in the environment as well as eradication of positive cases. Many immunostimulants had been used to improve the immune response of vaccinated chickens. The current study was designed to compare the effect of different immunostimulants on chick's immune response to bivalent ND with AI-H5N1 oil vaccine. One hundred and ten, 1- day old Baladi chicks, At the 1st day of life (0 day) 10 birds were sacrificed to obtained individual blood samples for serum to determine maternal antibodies (MDAbs) to both AI and ND. Rest of birds (100 chicks) were divided into 5 equal groups (1-5); each 20 chicks. All chicken groups were vaccinated against ND with eye drop instillation of HB1 vaccine. While, at the 9th day birds of the groups 1-3 and 5 were given H5N1 vaccine by S.C injection, birds of group 4 were lifted as non AI vaccinated control. The used immune stimulants under test were given to groups 1, 2, and 3 as follows Lector, Superimmune and Imuvral; respectively. All the groups were subjected to daily observation with recording of feed intake, weekly body weight gain and total FCR, Weekly serum samples were collected, for serological examination, and the results showed high antibody titers, low mortality rates and better body performance in the groups treated with immunostimulants than the other groups which were not treated with the immunostimulants