Project Number: 6612-32000-064-05
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Aug 15, 2010
End Date: Sep 30, 2014

Objective:
1. Evaluate antibody response induced by different Newcastle Disease virus (NDV) vaccine candidates expressing various gene inserts. 2. Evaluate efficacy of new NDV vaccine candidates against clinical disease and shedding after challenge with various velogenic NDV isolates. 3. Test different vaccination protocols for specific pathogen free (SPF) and commercial poultry to maximize NDV vaccine efficacies. 4. Share NDV challenge strains and reagents.

Approach:
Different alternative Newcastle disease (ND) vaccines based on vector, reverse genetics or expression systems technologies will be generated and controlled for NDV gene expression by the Cooperator. Vaccines will be tested for immunogenicity and efficacy against different epidemiologically relevant NDV isolates. Protection will be evaluated in SPF and commercial chickens by prevention of illness and death, increasing resistance to infection, reduction in number of infected birds, decrease in the amount of challenge virus shed from respiratory and alimentary tracts, and reduction of transmission to contact birds. Different vaccine candidates will be associated in prime-boost immunization schemes to optimize immunity and protection.