Natural infection of broiler breeder chickens with endemic apathogenic Newcastle disease virus and their subsequent response to vaccination with a live V4 Newcastle disease virus vaccine

SUMMARY Flocks of broiler breeder chickens housed on a commercial farm were monitored from 13 w of age for natural infection with endemic lentogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Seroconversion was first detected at 17 w. By 24 w, all 8 flocks had achieved peak log2 mean haemagglutination inhibiting antibody titres of up to 4.8. Antibody titres then declined and rose again over several months, suggesting cyclic reinfection with NDV. A lentogenic NDV indistinguishable from V4 was isolated from the cloaca of one bird at 18 weeks of age. At 54 weeks of age, 6 of 8 flocks were vaccinated en masse with live V4 NDV vaccine, 3 flocks by drinking water and 3 flocks by aerosol. All flocks were serologically monitored for a further 8 w. Drinking water vaccination induced an anamnestic response in 3 flocks, showing that flocks with pre-existing active immunity to NDV may be successfully vaccinated with V4. However, in all aerosol vaccinated flocks, the procedures failed to induce a response different to that observed in unvaccinated flocks. The serological response to vaccination was greater in sires than in dams.