Project Number: 6612-32000-053-01
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Dec 01, 2008
End Date: Nov 30, 2009

Objective:
1. Determine seroconversion against avian influenza following in ovo and day-of-age vaccination of specific pathogen free (SPF) and commercial chickens with recombinant herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT)-vectored avian influenza (AI) vaccine. 2 Determine vaccine efficacy following vaccination with recombinant HVT/AI vaccine against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 challenge.

Approach:
Avian influenza (AI) hemagglutinin (HA) gene from current H5 field viruses was cloned into a herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) vaccine. The HVT-AI vaccines, expressing HA protein, will be injected in SPF and commercial poultry to determine immune response and protection against HPAI challenge. Efficacy will be determined using high pathogenicity AI chicken models with measurement of protection being prevention of morbidity and mortality, reduction in number of infected birds and a decrease in the AI-shed from respiratory and alimentary tracts.