THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE ALABAMA POULTRY & EGG ...

INDUSTRY PROMOTION
AU professor develops first egg-injected
poultry vaccination against avian influenza
An Auburn University veterinary professor
in collaboration with researchers at Vaxin
Inc. of Birmingham has developed the first
"in ovo," or egg-injected, vaccine to protect
chickens against avian influenza, a virus
threatening human health and global poultry
populations.
Dr. Haroldo Toro, whose research is in
press in the scientific journal, Vaccine, says it
would provide 100 percent protection once an
outbreak's strain is determined.
"We have proven the principle, which is
the major step in leading to commercially
produced vaccine that could be vital to the
poultry industry," Dr. Toro said. "When an
outbreak occurs, we would determine the
strain and quickly create a vaccine within
three months specifically for it."
The researchers inserted a gene from a
low pathogenic avian flu virus strain (H5N9)
into a non-replicating human virus, a Vaxin
proprietary technology, which was then
injected into developing chicken embryos
still in the egg. When protection induced by
the vaccine was tested against two highly
pathogenic avian flu viruses, a Vietnam
H5N1 strain and a Mexican H5N2 strain, the
results showed 68 percent and 100 percent
protection, respectively.
"These strains have slightly different
genetic makeups which account for the different
percentages in protection," said Dr.
Toro, who is also collaborating on this project
with the Southeast Poultry Research
Laboratory in Athens, Ga. "Our results indicate
that we can provide effective protection
Free shuttle bus service to growers going to
Interntational Poultry Expo
AP&EA, the Alabama Cooperative
Extension Service and U.S. Poultry & Egg
Association are pleased to announce free bus
service to the International Poultry Expo at
the Georgia World Congress Center from the
Sand Mountain area on Thursday, Jan. 25,
2007.
The bus, a modern, comfortable 50-passenger
motor coach, will depart at 7 a.m. CST
(promptly) from the Guntersville Recreation
Center Ball Field Complex parking lot at the
corner of Sunset Drive and US Hwy. 69, for
the hassle-free transport to the front doors of
the Georgia World Congress Center. Growers
can register on-site for a reduced fee of $5.
14 Alabama Poultry November/December 2006
against any strain after incorporating the gene
of the field strain into our vaccine construct."
The disease has decimated poultry populations
in Asia in recent years. Dr. Toro says
United States health officials are continuously
monitoring both chicken flocks and migratory
birds that might bring new, highly pathogenic
strains of the disease and infect poultry
flocks, possibly killing between 90 percent to
100 percent in affected areas.
The current policy of health officials during
an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian
flu is mass euthanasia and disposal of infected
birds, and strict biosecurity measures.
Mass vaccination programs around the
perimeter region would help to reduce the
risk of further dissemination of the field virus
to neighboring areas. Because this new vaccine
also allows easy differentiation between
naturally infected birds and vaccinated birds,
it could also be used to prevent outbreaks of
disease in case of immediate risk from a
known strain affecting, for example, neighboring
countries.
"We can vaccinate lots of birds in a quick,
cost- and labor-saving manner which otherwise
would not be possible," Dr. Toro said.
"Most poultry operations already have automated
injection machines to vaccinate against
Marek's disease, injecting up to 40,000 eggs
per minute. Our vaccine is produced through
cell cultures, so we can easily make enough
vaccine for thousands of birds."
He says this procedure is much easier than
producing inactivated, or killed, vaccines,
which require replicating the live avian
The show features 16 acres of the latest
equipment for the poultry industry, with the
GWCC B Hall for live production systems
and related equipment and services, and the C
Hall dedicated to poultry processing. This
year, the International Feed Expo joins the
IPE, so growers will also be able to see the
very latest in technology of feed equipment
for poultry, pork, cattle and dairy operations.
Growers will have the entire day Thursday to
peruse either or both halls, attend educational
seminars, and watch product demonstrations.
At 5 p.m. (EST), the bus will reload and
return to the ball field parking lot in
Guntersville before 7 p.m. (CST)
influenza virus in egg embryos and individual
delivery by injection. In addition, naturally
infected chickens cannot be differentiated
from those vaccinated if the strain used for
vaccination is the same as the one acting in
the field. Currently available recombinant
vaccines, using fowlpox vectors, are injected
into the chicken and have been shown to be
less effective in birds pre-exposed to the
fowlpox vector. Pre-exposure to the vector
used in this novel vaccine is extremely
unlikely in chicken populations.
"Both of the current methods are difficult
and labor intensive, and are too time consuming,
when time is critical," he said. "The inegg
vaccine is easy to produce, easy to
administer and very effective."
He adds, "The vaccine would, in turn,
reduce the risk for human exposure to avian
influenza." Even though the risk to people is
low, there have been confirmed cases among
humans reported since 1997, primarily in
Asia as a result of contact with infected
chicken, ducks and turkeys.
Dr. Toro's research is funded through a
USDA program set up in 2004 for universities
to study avian influenza. The next step is
gaining federal approval to commercially
produce the vaccine.
"We are looking at two or three years for
federal approval, but it might be much sooner
if an outbreak occurs," he said. "We have a
very good tool against avian flu. No one has
done this before."
Area poultry company employees may
also use this bus service. Poultry company
employees should pre-register at
www.ipe07.com for $30, or register upon
arrival for $50, as the reduced $5 IPE registration
fee is exclusively for growers.
While the bus is completely free of
charge, growers and company employees
alike must reserve a seat. You can do so by
calling the Marshall County Extension office
at 256-582-2000. Deadline for making reservations
is Jan. 16. Seats are available on a
first-come first-served basis, so call today! If
there is enough demand additional buses, following
the same schedule, will be added.