Development of Humoral Immune Response to Thermostable Newcastle Disease Vaccine Strain I-2 in Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Newcastle Disease (ND) was ranked as a List A and trade limited disease by the World Health Organization. It is one of the deadly diseases of domestic and zoo birds especially pheasants that are highly susceptible species to Newcastle disease virus (NDV). This study was designed to determine the humoral immune response (HIR) of thermostable NDV vaccine strain I-2 in same age pheasants. For this purpose, forty-five pheasants of the same age were separated and placed in cages. Thermostable NDV I-2 vaccine was mixed with feed and administered through oral route to the same age pheasants. HIR was detected using haemagglutination inhibition test (HI) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on 0, 7th, 14th, 21th and 28th days post-vaccination (DPV). Optimum geometric mean anti-NDV-ELISA (2380) and anti-NDV-HI (Log27.5) antibodies titers were identified on 14th DPV. It was concluded that the oral administration of NDV I-2 strain is able to elicit a protective immune response in pheasants. Moreover, the use of this novel vaccine technique at the same age of pheasants overwhelms the attempt to catch these birds for single vaccination.