Abstract
BackgroundNewcastle disease (ND) is a highly infectious disease causing considerable economic losses to poultry farmers worldwide. Conventional vaccine delivery methods are not suitable for smallholder and rural poultry producers, and thus appropriate vaccination methods need to be sought. This study was carried out with the main objective of evaluating the efficacy of ND I2 vaccine delivered via drinking water and spray under smallholder farmers’ condition in Minjar-Shenkora district, central Ethiopia. Twenty households were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Chickens owned by the selected households were randomly assigned to one of the three intervention groups. Blood samples were collected regularly for antibody assay from individual chicken vaccinated with ND I2 vaccine using different routes.ResultsAt baseline, there was no difference in antibody titer among the experimental groups. After the first and booster vaccinations, the three vaccinated groups had significantly higher antibody titer (P < 0.001) than the unvaccinated control group. Interestingly, there was no statistically significant difference in antibody titer among the vaccinated groups. Out of the 40 chicken in the unvaccinated control only 14 had antibody titter≥ log23. Similarly 19/37 of chicken in the drinking water group, 19/37 of chicken in the eye drop group and 20/40 chicken in the spray group had antibody titer ≥ log23. Two weeks after the first vaccination the proportion of chicken with antibody titer ≥ log23 rose to 23/37, 30/37 and 29/40 in the group vaccinated via drinking water, eye drop and spray, respectively. The proportion remained low in unvaccinated group. Hundred percent of the vaccinated chicken survived after infection with the virulent ND virus (Alemaya strain); whereas only 40% survived from the unvaccinated control group.ConclusionThe results of this study showed that ND I2 vaccine administered via drinking water and spray under smallholder farmers’ situation provoked protective antibody level similar to the eye drop method. The use of ND I2 vaccine could contribute to food security if used by rural poultry farmers properly.
Highlights
Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly infectious disease causing considerable economic losses to poultry farmers worldwide
Results of Hemaglutination inhibition assay At baseline the overall mean antibody titer against NDV was 3.9 ± 0.21, which was slightly higher than the protective level in all the treatment groups (Table 1)
There was no statistically significant difference in antibody titer among the vaccinated groups the group that received the ND I2 vaccine via spray had highest titer followed by the eye drop group
Summary
Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly infectious disease causing considerable economic losses to poultry farmers worldwide. Chicken production is considered an important source of quality animal proteins and can break the vicious cycle of poverty and malnutrition in developing countries. They play important role in the wellbeing of women and children [1]. Increasing productivity and financial return from backyard chicken requires better knowledge of diseases such as ND. Newcastle disease can intercept the expansion of small scale poultry farms in the rural Ethiopia unless its incidence is reduced. More than 15 outbreaks of ND were confirmed in 2016 whereas as hundreds of outbreaks were confirmed in 2015 in the country This shows that ND is continuing to impact the livelihood of poultry farmers. To improve productivity and financial return from backyard flocks, improvements to education and biosecurity measures are required
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