Assessment of physical and immunological characters of an inactivated avian influenza (H5N1) vaccine prepared using Montanide oil 71™ ISA-RVG as adjuvant

An inactivated oil-emulsion H5N1 avian influenza (AI) vaccine was experimentally formulatedwith 3 parts of an inactivated avian influenza virus [A/chicken/Egypt/Q1995D/2010 strain-1 andA/duck/Egypt/M2583A/2010 strain-2] emulsified in 7 parts of oil adjuvant. The prepared vaccinewas sterile and safe. This water in oil (W/O) emulsion showed zero mS/cm conductivity and 22.67m.pa.s viscosity; this low viscosity reflected on easy injection of the vaccine emulsion. In addition,long duration of stability for 24 months at +4C°. Cell mediated immune response of chicksvaccinated at 21 days age were assessed using lymphocyte blastogenesis and phagocytic activityshowed high values from the 3rd day post vaccination (DPV) and continued till 21st DPV. Serumantibody titer against avian influenza virus (AIV) H5N1 was increased from the 1st week postvaccination (WPV) and persisted in high values till 31st WPV using hemagglutination inhibition(HI) test. Efficacy of the prepared vaccine showed 100% protection in challenged vaccinatedchicks. In conclusion, the prepared AI subtype H5N1 vaccine on Montanide ISA-71 showed goodhumoral and cellular immune responses that could cover two varieties of H5N1 subtypes circulatingin Egypt.