Efficacy of live adjuvanted mesogenic Newcastle disease vaccine in chickens

120 white leghorn chickens primed with a lentogenic Newcastle disease (ND) live vaccine at 7 days of age were divided into three equal groups of 8 wee ks of age and vaccinated with a live mesogenic ND vaccine (NDV). One group received only Newcastle disease mesogenic vaccine (RDVK) in normal saline, the second group received RDVK with groundnut oil as adjuvant and the third group received RDVK with liquid paraffin as adjuvant. Sera were collected at different time points for the assessment of antibody level against ND vi rus (NDV) by the haemagglutination inhibition (III) test. The commonly used non-adjuvanted RDVK could not evince 100% protective HI titre beyond 11 we eks of age but in both the adjuvanted groups 100% protective III titre was evident upto 20 weeks of age. On challenge at 20 weeks of age both the adju vanted groups withstood challenge but in the non-adjuvanted group 80% of ch ickens withstood the challenge. A significant difference in immune response between the adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted groups was seen but not between both the adjuvanted groups. The advantage of vegetable oil (groundnut oil) as an adjuvant for live mesogenic ND vaccine has been discussed. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.