The Immune Response of Boschveld Chickens to a Newcastle Disease Vaccination Program Designed for Commercial Layers

The Immune Response of Boschveld Chickens to a Newcastle Disease Vaccination Program Designed for Commercial Layers | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Immune Response of Boschveld Chickens to a Newcastle Disease Vaccination Program Designed for Commercial Layers PRIDE HODZI, Blessed Masunda, Tonderai MUtibvu, Takudzwa Charambira, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3866661/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study evaluated Boschveld chicken’s antibody response to a Newcastle Disease (ND) vaccination program designed for the Hyline Brown chickens. Both chicken breeds were challenged with the LaSota vaccine at days 1, 69, 111, and 195. A total of 160 sera samples were collected, 80 from each breed. The sera were tested for anti-Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) antibodies using the Haemagglutination inhibition assay. The anti-NDV antibody titers were expressed in log 2 as geometric mean ± standard deviation. Antibody titers were evaluated and compared pre-infection and 10 days post-infection (dpi). Sera positivity to anti-NDV was tested at 10 dpi. A higher percentage of negative sera (6.875) was recorded in Boschveld than in Hyline Brown chickens (3.75). Hyline Brown chicks had a higher antibody titer (4.95 ± 0.21) than Boschveld (3.21 ± 0.43) before any vaccination. There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the number of vaccinations and antibody titers in both chicken breeds. Sera from the Boschveld reached a higher antibody titer value (13.98) than that of Hyline Brown chickens (13.85). The Boschveld had a higher immune response peak and immunological memory compared to the Hyline Brown chickens. The candidate genes from Boschveld chickens can be introgressed in highly productive chicken germplasm with less NDV response as an alternative solution to ND. The antibody titers of the Boschveld did not change significantly (p > 0.05) after the 4th vaccination time while those from Hyline Brown chickens continued to increase. The 4th ND vaccination must be ignored or delayed in Boschveld chickens. Boschveld Hyline-Brown Newcastle Disease Vaccine Haemagglutination inhibition assay Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Newcastle Disease (ND) continues to negatively impact poultry farmers and poultry-producing nations by infecting birds worldwide, despite the advances made in diagnosis and vaccination since it was first discovered in 1926 (Mahamud et al ., 2022; Moustapha et al ., 2023). An aspect that can be part of complementary control strategies but is often neglected is the differences in immune response due to genetic variation (Igwe et al ., 2018). In Zimbabwe, vaccination against Newcastle Disease is one of the main control measures of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) with its endemic occurrence in poultry farms. The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) recommends vaccinating chickens against Newcastle Disease with attenuated live vaccines via drinking water or spray on day 1, day 69 day 111, and once every 12 weeks. However, different breeds and lines of chickens have shown different genetic resistance to NDV (Deist et al ., 2017) and also have different seroconversions to Newcastle Disease vaccines (Churchil et al ., 2023). Genetic variations in ND resistance were also observed among breeds of turkey (Seal et al ., 2000) and ducks (Dai et al ., 2014). This led to the conclusion that NDV may be better adapted in one species or breed versus the other like what is seen with PPMV1 (pigeon NDV) strains in chickens (Hossain et al ., 2023). The Boschveld chicken is a hybrid of three Southern African native breeds which are the Venda, Matabele, and Ovambo chickens (Okoro et al ., 2017). Several researchers concluded that native chicken breeds have higher disease resistance compared to their improved commercial counterparts (El-Safty, 2012; Kokate et al ., 2017). Although the Boschveld chicken is the only locally developed indigenous breed in Africa, little is known about its antibody production, and as a result, there is no vaccination program developed specifically for it. The ND vaccination program for commercial layer strains is said to apply to the Boschveld chickens. This research evaluates the antibody response of the Boschveld chicken breed to a Newcastle Disease vaccination program of commercial layer strains. Materials and methods 2.1 Study site The rearing of chickens was done in the Bioassay Laboratory at the University of Zimbabwe, Department of Livestock Sciences. Antibody analysis was carried out at Central Veterinary Laboratories, which is located in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. 2.2 Ethical approval The care and use of the animals were approved by and conformed to the guidelines for animal experimentation of the National Animal Research Ethics Committee (NAREC) 18 A Borrowdale Road P.O Box CY 551 Causeway Harare Zimbabwe for biomedical research involving the animals. The following Animal Ethics consideration issues were followed. Do not harm (pain or discomfort should be minimized) Only assess relevant components Reduction in the number of animals used Minimize the overall impact on the animals used 2.3 Flock management A total of 200 day-old chicks, 100 from each breed were obtained from Charles Stewart Day Old Chicks Pvt Ltd. The chicks were kept in groups of 10 in both breeds. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used to assign the chicks to their respective cages. Management and hygiene practices were the same in both chicks. The chicks were also given the same type of feed and all biosecurity risk factors were monitored. Feed and water were provided ad libitum while temperature and humidity were also monitored. 2.4 Blood collection Blood samples were aseptically collected from the randomly selected birds with the help of a Veterinarian. From day 1 to 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected by sacrificing the birds. After 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected from the wing vein. About 2.0 mL of blood was collected from each randomly selected bird using sterile hypodermic needles and a 2 mL syringe. The blood samples were centrifuged to get the plasma/sera which were put in well-labeled sample bottles. The labels had sample number, breed, and vaccination number. The sera were kept in a cooler box with ice during transportation from the bioassay laboratory to the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL). 2.5 Preparation of Newcastle Disease virus antigen The Newcastle Disease virusantigen was prepared from the NDV-LaSota vaccine obtained from the National Veterinary Distributors (NVD) Private Limited. Each 200-dose vial of the NDV-LaSota vaccine was reconstituted in 2 mL of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (pH 7.4). The latter was then mixed with seven liters of water. The chickens were starved for 2 hours and then given the vaccine in water for an average of 2 hours. The birds were vaccinated on days 1, 69, 111, and 195. 2.6 Data collection The blood samples were aseptically collected pre and post-infection from 10 birds per breed. Sera were transported to the Central Veterinary Laboratory for the Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. The HI was used according to the OIE Terrestrial Manual (2023). Anti-Newcastle Disease Virus Antibody titers were quantified and then expressed as log 2. 2.7 Statistical analysis The serum HI titers were tested for normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity before data transformation. The transformed antibody titers were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 (SPSS IBM Corp. 2017) for Windows. The Chi-square test for independence was carried out to test for associations between the number of vaccinations and antibody titers. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results 2.1 Study site The rearing of chickens was done in the Bioassay Laboratory at the University of Zimbabwe, Department of Livestock Sciences. Antibody analysis was carried out at Central Veterinary Laboratories, which is located in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. 2.2 Ethical approval The care and use of the animals were approved by and conformed to the guidelines for animal experimentation of the National Animal Research Ethics Committee (NAREC) 18 A Borrowdale Road P.O Box CY 551 Causeway Harare Zimbabwe for biomedical research involving the animals. The following Animal Ethics consideration issues were followed. Do not harm (pain or discomfort should be minimized) Only assess relevant components Reduction in the number of animals used Minimize the overall impact on the animals used 2.3 Flock management A total of 200 day-old chicks, 100 from each breed were obtained from Charles Stewart Day Old Chicks Pvt Ltd. The chicks were kept in groups of 10 in both breeds. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used to assign the chicks to their respective cages. Management and hygiene practices were the same in both chicks. The chicks were also given the same type of feed and all biosecurity risk factors were monitored. Feed and water were provided ad libitum while temperature and humidity were also monitored. 2.4 Blood collection Blood samples were aseptically collected from the randomly selected birds with the help of a Veterinarian. From day 1 to 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected by sacrificing the birds. After 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected from the wing vein. About 2.0 mL of blood was collected from each randomly selected bird using sterile hypodermic needles and a 2 mL syringe. The blood samples were centrifuged to get the plasma/sera which were put in well-labeled sample bottles. The labels had sample number, breed, and vaccination number. The sera were kept in a cooler box with ice during transportation from the bioassay laboratory to the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL). 2.5 Preparation of Newcastle Disease virus antigen The Newcastle Disease virusantigen was prepared from the NDV-LaSota vaccine obtained from the National Veterinary Distributors (NVD) Private Limited. Each 200-dose vial of the NDV-LaSota vaccine was reconstituted in 2 mL of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (pH 7.4). The latter was then mixed with seven liters of water. The chickens were starved for 2 hours and then given the vaccine in water for an average of 2 hours. The birds were vaccinated on days 1, 69, 111, and 195. 2.6 Data collection The blood samples were aseptically collected pre and post-infection from 10 birds per breed. Sera were transported to the Central Veterinary Laboratory for the Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. The HI was used according to the OIE Terrestrial Manual (2023). Anti-Newcastle Disease Virus Antibody titers were quantified and then expressed as log 2. 2.7 Statistical analysis The serum HI titers were tested for normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity before data transformation. The transformed antibody titers were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 (SPSS IBM Corp. 2017) for Windows. The Chi-square test for independence was carried out to test for associations between the number of vaccinations and antibody titers. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Discussion and Conclusion The large number of negative sera in chicks implies that antibody development due to NDV vaccination or infection was slow in some of the chicks and increased with age as described by Parmentier et al , (2014). This indicates that some of the vaccinated chicks were still vulnerable to NDV. With the increase in the number of vaccinations, the number of negative sera declined and went to zero, meaning that both chicken breeds had fully developed anti-ND antibodies and were protected from NDV. A higher number of negative sera in Boschveld chicks might mean that there is a lot of variation in the immune response of that particular breed. The Hyline Brown chicks had higher Ab titers than Boschveld chickens. This could be due to the differences in the levels of maternal-derived antibodies. According to Liu et al , (2023) vaccinated hens can transfer antibodies to their offspring through the egg yolk. Maternally derived antibodies can provide passive protection against diseases but can also interfere with vaccination efficacy early in life (Shrestha et al ., 2022). The Hyline Brown parent flock could have been vaccinated against ND. The presence of maternal-derived antibodies for other diseases such as infectious bronchitis (IB) was also observed by Isham et al , (2023) in day-old broiler chicks. The huge variation in both breeds might be due to the presence of variable amounts of Maternal Derived Antibodies in chicks as was also observed by (Okuliarova et al 2014). Antibody titers of both chicken breeds exceeded 12 log 2 after the third vaccination time and this is closely related to the findings of Anebo et al , (2014) who concluded that repeated vaccinations enhance the level of immunity developed in a group. Despite having lower Ab titers in day-old chicks, the Boschveld chickens had higher figures after the third vaccination. This significant difference in Ab titers after the third vaccination means that Boschveld chickens have better immune systems compared to the Hyline Brown chickens. This is closely related to findings by Kokate et al , (2017) who concluded that native chicken breeds have better immunity than the improved breeds. The differences in immune response among the different chicken breeds were also observed by Bílková et al , (2017) and while Ojiezen et al , (2014) concluded that local chicken breeds have higher antibody titers than exotic commercial breeds. According to Kokate et al, (2017), the higher and longer immune-responsive local chickens can be utilized for selective introgression of their candidate genes in highly productive chicken germplasm with less NDV response. The second vaccination resulted in a more rapid and effective immune response than the first vaccination due to immunologic memory as was also described by Wang et al, (2015). The Boschveld had a higher immune response implying that they have a higher immunological memory compared to Hyline Brown chickens. High immune response in native chickens was also seen by Kokate et al, (2017). The non-responsiveness of the Boschveld chickens to the fourth vaccination could be the start of over immunisation which leads to adverse conditions such as greenish diarrhea, respiratory problems and a drop in egg production as was also seen in indigenous chickens by Orajaka et al, (2004). Wang et al, (2015) explained the non-responsiveness of chickens to vaccines as the adaptation to repeated NDV immunization. 4.2 Recommendations Parental flocks should be vaccinated against ND to attain maternally derived antibodies to chicks. One vaccination is not enough to secure protective immunity in the two chicken breeds. Repeated vaccinations enhance the level of immunity developed in a group. The third vaccination time must not be ignored in both breeds of chickens. The 4 th vaccination is not necessary or must be delayed in Boschveld chickens since antibody titers did not change significantly and could result in adverse effects such as greenish diarrhea, respiratory problems, and a drop in egg production. Declarations Author’s contribution All authors contributed to the study's conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Pride Hodzi, Takudzwa Charambira, and Blessed Masunda. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Tonderai Mutibvu and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgments The authors are thankful to the National Animal Research Ethics Committee (NAREC) and the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) for their contribution in making the research a success. Conflict of interest statement The authors declare that they had no conflict of interest. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript. Data availability The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, [PRIDE HODZI]. References Anebo ZG, Teklemichael K, Bacha B, Habte T and Hunde A. Evaluation of the Newcastle disease antibody level after vaccination regimes in chickens in Debrezeit Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia. J Vet Med Anim Health 6. 2014: 7-12. Bílková B, Bainová Z, Janda J, Zita L, Vinkler M. Different breeds, different blood: Cytometric analysis of whole blood cellular composition in chicken breeds. Veterinary immunology and immunopathology. 2017 Jun 1; 188: 71-7. Churchil RR. GENETICS, GENOMICS AND BREEDING FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE IN POULTRY. Ind. J. Vet. & Anim. Sci. Res. 2023 Mar; 52 (2):1-7. Dai Y, Cheng X, Liu M, Shen X, Li J, Yu S, Zou J, Ding C. Experimental infection of duck origin virulent Newcastle disease virus strain in ducks. BMC veterinary research. 2014 Dec; 10(1):1-9. Deist MS, Gallardo RA, Bunn DA, Dekkers JC, Zhou H, Lamont SJ. Resistant and susceptible chicken lines show distinctive responses to Newcastle disease virus infection in the lung transcriptome. BMC genomics. 2017 Dec; 18:1-5. El-Safty SA. Comparative study on some immunological traits in two different genetic groups of chicken. Veterinary World. 2012 Nov 1; 5 (11):645-50. Hossain I, Parvin R, Rahman MM, Begum JA, Chowdhury EH, Islam MR, Diel DG, Nooruzzaman M. Comparative pathogenicity of a genotype XXI. 1.2 pigeon Newcastle disease virus isolate in pigeons and chickens. Microbial Pathogenesis. 2023 May 1; 178:106068. Igwe AO, Agbakwuru IO. Haemagglutination inhibition antibody responses of pullet and broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) to Newcastle disease virus LaSota vaccination. Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences. 2018;16(4):36-42. Isham IM, Hassan MS, Abd-Elsalam RM, Ranaweera HA, Mahmoud ME, Najimudeen SM, Ghaffar A, Cork SC, Gupta A, Abdul-Careem MF. Impact of Maternal Antibodies on Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) Infection in Primary and Secondary Lymphoid Organs of Chickens. Vaccines. 2023 Jul 7;11(7):1216. Kokate LS, Kumar S, Rahim A, Das AK. Estimating serological immune response against Newcastle disease vaccine in Aseel, Kadaknath and White Leghorn chicken using haemagglutination inhibition test. Ind J Anim Sci. 2017 Feb 1; 87 (2):136-8. Liu M, Shen X, Yu Y, Li J, Fan J, Jia X, Dai Y. Effect of Different Levels of Maternally Derived Genotype VII Newcastle Disease Virus-Specific Hemagglutination Inhibition Antibodies on Protection against Virulent Challenge in Chicks. Viruses. 2023 Aug 30;15(9):1840. Mahamud SN, Bello MB, Ideris A, Omar AR. Efficacy of genotype-matched Newcastle disease virus vaccine formulated in carboxymethyl sago starch acid hydrogel in chickens vaccinated via different routes. Journal of Veterinary Science. 2022 Jul;23 (4). Moustapha A, Talaki E, Akourki A and Ousseini M. Newcastle Disease Virus in Poultry: Current Status and Control Prospects. University of Lomé (UL), Regional Center of Excellence on Avian Sciences (CERSA).2023. 01 BP: 1515, Lomé, Togo OIE. Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals: Mammals, Birds and Bees, Biological Standards Commission. World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). 2023, Paris, pp. 1–19. Ojiezeh TI, Morka VO, Okiki PA. Hemogram and antibody profiles of local and broiler chickens under different vaccination programs. Journal of Animal and Poultry Sciences. 2014;3(2):47-56. Okoro VM, Ravhuhali KE, Mapholi TH, Mbajiorgu EF, Mbajiorgu CA. Effect of age on production characteristics of Boschveld indigenous chickens of South Africa reared intensively. South African Journal of Animal Science. 2017 Jan 1; 47(2):157-67. Okuliarova M, Kankova Z, Bertin A, Leterrier C, Mostl E, Zeman M. Maternally derived egg hormones, antibodies and antimicrobial proteins: common and different pathways of maternal effects in Japanese quail. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 12; 9 (11):e112817. Orajaka LJ, Ezema WS. The effects of Newcastle disease vaccine (Komarov) on unvaccinated local hens. Nigerian Veterinary Journal. 2004; 25 (2):60-5. Parmentier HK, Harms E, Lammers A, Nieuwland MG. Age and genetic selection affect auto-immune profiles of chickens. Developmental & Comparative Immunology. 2014 Dec 1; 47 (2):205-14. Seal BS, King DJ, Sellers HS. The avian response to Newcastle disease virus. Developmental & Comparative Immunology. 2000 Mar 1; 24(2-3):257-68. Shrestha A, Meeuws R, Sadeyen JR, Chang P, Van Hulten M, Iqbal M. Haemagglutinin antigen selectively targeted to chicken CD83 overcomes interference from maternally derived antibodies in chickens. npj Vaccines. 2022 Mar 3;7(1):33. Wang X, Zhou Q, Shen J, Yao J, Yang X. Effect of difference doses of Newcastle disease vaccine immunization on growth performance, plasma variables and immune response of broilers. Journal of animal science and biotechnology. 2015 Dec;6:1-5. Tables Table 1 Number of sera tested Number of sera tested negative Overall percentage of negative sera Boschveld 80 11 6.875 Hyline Brown 80 6 3.750 Total 160 17 10.625 Table 2 Vaccination number (Vn) Boschveld Hyline Brown V1 8 4 V2 2 1 V3 1 1 V4 0 0 Total 11 6 Table 3 Age (days) Immune response of birds 10 dpi (Geometric Mean Ab titer ± SD) Log 2 Boschveld Hyline Brown 1 (1 st vaccination) 3.21±0.43 a p0 4.95±0.21 b p0 11 (10dpi) 7.59 ±0.28 a p1 8.67 ±0.01 b p1 69 (2 nd vaccination) 6.03±0.22 a p1 6.43±0.07 b p1 79 (10dpi) 11.02±0.25 a p2 11.00 ±0.02 a p2 111 (3 rd vaccination) 10.46±0.22 a p2 9.57±0.04 b p2 121 (10dpi) 13.96 ±0.24 a p2 13.28 ±0.02 b p2 195 (4 th vaccination) 13.72±0.12 a p2 12.62±0.09 b p2 205 (10 dpi) 13.98 ±0.02 a p2 13.85 ±0.31 a p2 SD = Standard deviation; Different superscripts ( a and b ) within the rows show significant differences (p < 0.05). P0= the chickens that are biologically protected against the ND virus but are still at risk if the vNDV virus strikes. P1 =the chickens that are biologically protected against ND virus but at less risk if vNDV virus strikes. P2= the chickens are fully protected against ND even if vNDV strikes. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3866661","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":273572405,"identity":"a54c285f-8d58-492f-b9c1-efc8bc8b17e2","order_by":0,"name":"PRIDE HODZI","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA30lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCRAysAGyGBtI0pJGshaGwyS4y1y6+eDNHwXn5eWjDzd+YGyrY+BvP8D8mQePFss5x5ItJAxuG248l9gswdjGxiBxJoHBGJ8Wgxs5ZhIGBrcZN/YwtjEwtgHV3mBgSM4hpCXB4Jw9VIsEgzxQy2GCWg4YHEiczwPWYgAUYWBsxqfFckZasmWDQXLyBh7GZomEcwk8hmcSm5n/4NFiLpEMDLE/drbze9gffvhQVicnd/zw4Y8z8DkMzjgAJBIYGHgIxilcizx+daNgFIyCUTCSAQCbAUaA8ZD3WgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3321-6780","institution":"University of Zimbabwe","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"PRIDE","middleName":"","lastName":"HODZI","suffix":""},{"id":273572406,"identity":"36b901dd-3478-4bf1-8a3b-8ab43be684a8","order_by":1,"name":"Blessed Masunda","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Agriculture Environment And Food Systems","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Blessed","middleName":"","lastName":"Masunda","suffix":""},{"id":273572407,"identity":"4f4094f2-f0cb-4811-aaba-db1db55cbdfb","order_by":2,"name":"Tonderai MUtibvu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Zimbabwe","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tonderai","middleName":"","lastName":"MUtibvu","suffix":""},{"id":273572408,"identity":"84cbf2ba-2461-4349-8dae-e2279e0b6e2c","order_by":3,"name":"Takudzwa Charambira","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Agriculture Environment And Food Systems","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Takudzwa","middleName":"","lastName":"Charambira","suffix":""},{"id":273572409,"identity":"4448a24e-9461-4f92-ae24-18a0f27472d2","order_by":4,"name":"Takudzwa Mafigu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zimbabwe Open University Faculty of Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Takudzwa","middleName":"","lastName":"Mafigu","suffix":""},{"id":273572410,"identity":"ff8fae35-fe79-4ed7-ad49-fccf76de1ff1","order_by":5,"name":"Rumbudzai Nhara","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Agriculture Environment And Food Systems","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rumbudzai","middleName":"","lastName":"Nhara","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-01-15 13:40:12","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3866661/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3866661/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":51373408,"identity":"eaca6129-92f7-4731-9c99-8b2d423ae4be","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-02-20 12:52:35","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":45862,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3866661/v1/8fd1a3bc32ea54eed6a4b95e.png"},{"id":51373744,"identity":"c7bdb2f1-9076-4bde-bc4e-260969254fdc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-02-20 13:00:35","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":34045,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3866661/v1/2768691fb301463b58b64ed6.png"},{"id":51452973,"identity":"ed74e9c3-e420-4b8a-a710-ac452e748d8b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-02-21 22:32:04","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":417191,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3866661/v1/06600968-0120-450c-8b75-45904f633c3b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eThe Immune Response of Boschveld Chickens to a Newcastle Disease Vaccination Program Designed for Commercial Layers\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eNewcastle Disease (ND) continues to negatively impact poultry farmers and poultry-producing nations by infecting birds worldwide, despite the advances made in diagnosis and vaccination since it was first discovered in 1926 (Mahamud \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2022; Moustapha \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2023). An aspect that can be part of complementary control strategies but is often neglected is the differences in immune response due to genetic variation (Igwe \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2018). In Zimbabwe, vaccination against Newcastle Disease is one of the main control measures of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) with its endemic occurrence in poultry farms. The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) recommends vaccinating chickens against Newcastle Disease with attenuated live vaccines via drinking water or spray on day 1, day 69 day 111, and once every 12 weeks. However, different breeds and lines of chickens have shown different genetic resistance to NDV (Deist \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2017) and also have different seroconversions to Newcastle Disease vaccines (Churchil \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2023). Genetic variations in ND resistance were also observed among breeds of turkey (Seal \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2000) and ducks (Dai \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2014). This led to the conclusion that NDV may be better adapted in one species or breed versus the other like what is seen with PPMV1 (pigeon NDV) strains in chickens (Hossain \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2023).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Boschveld chicken is a hybrid of three Southern African native breeds which are the Venda, Matabele, and Ovambo chickens (Okoro \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2017). Several researchers concluded that native chicken breeds have higher disease resistance compared to their improved commercial counterparts\u0026nbsp;(El-Safty, 2012; Kokate \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2017). Although the Boschveld chicken is the only locally developed indigenous breed in Africa, little is known about its antibody production, and as a result, there is no vaccination program developed specifically for it. The ND vaccination program for commercial layer strains is said to apply to the Boschveld chickens. This research evaluates the antibody response of the Boschveld chicken breed to a Newcastle Disease vaccination program of commercial layer strains.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.1 Study site \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rearing of chickens was done in the Bioassay Laboratory at the University of Zimbabwe, Department of Livestock Sciences. Antibody analysis was carried out at Central Veterinary Laboratories, which is located in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2 Ethical approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe care and use of the animals were approved by and conformed to the guidelines for animal experimentation of the National Animal Research Ethics Committee (NAREC) 18 A Borrowdale Road P.O Box CY 551 Causeway Harare Zimbabwe for biomedical research involving the animals. The following Animal Ethics consideration issues were followed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not harm (pain or discomfort should be minimized)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnly assess relevant components\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReduction in the number of animals used \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimize the overall impact on the animals used\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.3 Flock management\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA total of 200 day-old chicks, 100 from each breed were obtained from Charles Stewart Day Old Chicks Pvt Ltd. The chicks were kept in groups of 10 in both breeds. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used to assign the chicks to their respective cages. Management and hygiene practices were the same in both chicks. The chicks were also given the same type of feed and all biosecurity risk factors were monitored. Feed and water were provided \u003cem\u003ead libitum \u003c/em\u003ewhile temperature and humidity were also monitored.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.4 Blood collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlood samples were aseptically collected from the randomly selected birds with the help of a Veterinarian. From day 1 to 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected by sacrificing the birds. After 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected from the wing vein. About 2.0 mL of blood was collected from each randomly selected bird using sterile hypodermic needles and a 2 mL syringe. The blood samples were centrifuged to get the plasma/sera which were put in well-labeled sample bottles. The labels had sample number, breed, and vaccination number. The sera were kept in a cooler box with ice during transportation from the bioassay laboratory to the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.5 Preparation of Newcastle Disease virus antigen\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Newcastle Disease virusantigen was prepared from the NDV-LaSota vaccine obtained from the National Veterinary Distributors (NVD) Private Limited. Each 200-dose vial of the NDV-LaSota vaccine was reconstituted in 2 mL of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (pH 7.4). The latter was then mixed with seven liters of water. The chickens were starved for 2 hours and then given the vaccine in water for an average of 2 hours. The birds were vaccinated on days 1, 69, 111, and 195.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.6 Data collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blood samples were aseptically collected pre and post-infection from 10 birds per breed. Sera were transported to the Central Veterinary Laboratory for the Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. The HI was used according to the OIE Terrestrial Manual (2023). Anti-Newcastle Disease Virus Antibody titers were quantified and then expressed as log 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.7 Statistical analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe serum HI titers were tested for normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity before data transformation. The transformed antibody titers were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 (SPSS IBM Corp. 2017) for Windows. The Chi-square test for independence was carried out to test for associations between the number of vaccinations and antibody titers. Statistical significance was set at p \u0026lt; 0.05. \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.1 Study site \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rearing of chickens was done in the Bioassay Laboratory at the University of Zimbabwe, Department of Livestock Sciences. Antibody analysis was carried out at Central Veterinary Laboratories, which is located in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2 Ethical approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe care and use of the animals were approved by and conformed to the guidelines for animal experimentation of the National Animal Research Ethics Committee (NAREC) 18 A Borrowdale Road P.O Box CY 551 Causeway Harare Zimbabwe for biomedical research involving the animals. The following Animal Ethics consideration issues were followed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not harm (pain or discomfort should be minimized)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnly assess relevant components\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReduction in the number of animals used \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimize the overall impact on the animals used\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.3 Flock management\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA total of 200 day-old chicks, 100 from each breed were obtained from Charles Stewart Day Old Chicks Pvt Ltd. The chicks were kept in groups of 10 in both breeds. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used to assign the chicks to their respective cages. Management and hygiene practices were the same in both chicks. The chicks were also given the same type of feed and all biosecurity risk factors were monitored. Feed and water were provided \u003cem\u003ead libitum \u003c/em\u003ewhile temperature and humidity were also monitored.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.4 Blood collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlood samples were aseptically collected from the randomly selected birds with the help of a Veterinarian. From day 1 to 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected by sacrificing the birds. After 2 weeks of age, the blood was collected from the wing vein. About 2.0 mL of blood was collected from each randomly selected bird using sterile hypodermic needles and a 2 mL syringe. The blood samples were centrifuged to get the plasma/sera which were put in well-labeled sample bottles. The labels had sample number, breed, and vaccination number. The sera were kept in a cooler box with ice during transportation from the bioassay laboratory to the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.5 Preparation of Newcastle Disease virus antigen\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Newcastle Disease virusantigen was prepared from the NDV-LaSota vaccine obtained from the National Veterinary Distributors (NVD) Private Limited. Each 200-dose vial of the NDV-LaSota vaccine was reconstituted in 2 mL of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (pH 7.4). The latter was then mixed with seven liters of water. The chickens were starved for 2 hours and then given the vaccine in water for an average of 2 hours. The birds were vaccinated on days 1, 69, 111, and 195.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.6 Data collection\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blood samples were aseptically collected pre and post-infection from 10 birds per breed. Sera were transported to the Central Veterinary Laboratory for the Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. The HI was used according to the OIE Terrestrial Manual (2023). Anti-Newcastle Disease Virus Antibody titers were quantified and then expressed as log 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.7 Statistical analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe serum HI titers were tested for normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity before data transformation. The transformed antibody titers were analyzed using IBM SPSS 25.0 (SPSS IBM Corp. 2017) for Windows. The Chi-square test for independence was carried out to test for associations between the number of vaccinations and antibody titers. Statistical significance was set at p \u0026lt; 0.05. \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion and Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe large number of negative sera in chicks implies that antibody development due to NDV vaccination or infection was slow in some of the chicks and increased with age as described by Parmentier \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e, (2014). This indicates that some of the vaccinated chicks were still vulnerable to NDV. With the increase in the number of vaccinations, the number of negative sera declined and went to zero, meaning that both chicken breeds had fully developed anti-ND antibodies and were protected from NDV. A higher number of negative sera in Boschveld chicks might mean that there is a lot of variation in the immune response of that particular breed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Hyline Brown chicks had higher Ab titers than Boschveld chickens. This could be due to the differences in the levels of maternal-derived antibodies. According to Liu \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e, (2023) vaccinated hens can transfer antibodies to their offspring through the egg yolk. Maternally derived antibodies can provide passive protection against diseases but can also interfere with vaccination efficacy early in life\u0026nbsp;(Shrestha \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2022). The Hyline Brown parent flock could have been vaccinated against ND. The presence of maternal-derived antibodies for other diseases such as infectious bronchitis (IB) was also observed by Isham \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e, (2023) in day-old broiler chicks. The huge variation in both breeds might be due to the presence of variable amounts of Maternal Derived Antibodies in chicks as was also observed by (Okuliarova \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e 2014).\u0026nbsp;Antibody titers of both chicken breeds exceeded 12 log 2 after the third vaccination time and this is closely related to the findings of\u0026nbsp;Anebo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e, (2014) who concluded that repeated vaccinations enhance the level of immunity developed in a group. Despite having lower Ab titers in day-old chicks, the Boschveld chickens had higher figures after the third vaccination. This significant difference in Ab titers after the third vaccination means that Boschveld chickens have better immune systems compared to the Hyline Brown chickens. This is closely related to findings by Kokate \u003cem\u003eet\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eal\u003c/em\u003e, (2017) who concluded that native chicken breeds have better immunity than the improved breeds. The differences in immune response among the different chicken breeds were also observed by\u0026nbsp;B\u0026iacute;lkov\u0026aacute;\u0026nbsp;\u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e, (2017)\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eand while Ojiezen \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e, (2014) concluded that local chicken breeds have higher antibody titers than exotic commercial breeds. According to Kokate \u003cem\u003eet al,\u003c/em\u003e (2017), the\u0026nbsp;higher and longer immune-responsive local chickens can be utilized for selective introgression of their candidate genes in highly productive chicken germplasm with less NDV response.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second vaccination resulted in a more rapid and effective immune response than the first vaccination due to immunologic memory as was also described by Wang\u0026nbsp;et al, (2015). The Boschveld had a higher immune response implying that they have a higher immunological memory compared to Hyline Brown chickens. High immune response in native chickens was also seen by Kokate\u0026nbsp;et al, (2017). The non-responsiveness of the Boschveld chickens to the fourth vaccination could be the start of over immunisation which leads to adverse conditions such as greenish diarrhea, respiratory problems and a drop in egg production as was also seen in indigenous chickens by\u0026nbsp;Orajaka\u0026nbsp;et al, (2004).\u0026nbsp;Wang\u0026nbsp;et al, (2015) explained the non-responsiveness of chickens to vaccines as the adaptation to repeated NDV immunization.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4.2 Recommendations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParental flocks should be vaccinated against ND to attain maternally derived antibodies to chicks. One vaccination is not enough to secure protective immunity in the two chicken breeds. Repeated vaccinations enhance the level of immunity developed in a group. The third vaccination time must not be ignored in both breeds of chickens. The 4\u003csup\u003eth\u003c/sup\u003e vaccination is not necessary or must be delayed in Boschveld chickens since antibody titers did not change significantly and could result in adverse effects such as greenish diarrhea, respiratory problems, and a drop in egg production.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u0026rsquo;s contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAll authors contributed to the study\u0026apos;s conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Pride Hodzi, Takudzwa Charambira, and Blessed Masunda. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Tonderai Mutibvu and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors are thankful to the National Animal Research Ethics Committee (NAREC) and the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) for their contribution in making the research a success.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of interest statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they had no conflict of interest.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, [PRIDE HODZI].\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAnebo ZG, Teklemichael K, Bacha B, Habte T and Hunde A. Evaluation of the Newcastle disease antibody level after vaccination regimes in chickens in Debrezeit Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia. J Vet Med Anim Health 6. 2014: 7-12.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eB\u0026iacute;lkov\u0026aacute; B, Bainov\u0026aacute; Z, Janda J, Zita L, Vinkler M. Different breeds, different blood: Cytometric analysis of whole blood cellular composition in chicken breeds. Veterinary immunology and immunopathology. 2017 Jun 1; 188: 71-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eChurchil RR. GENETICS, GENOMICS AND BREEDING FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE IN POULTRY. Ind. J. Vet. \u0026amp; Anim. Sci. Res. 2023 Mar; 52 (2):1-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDai Y, Cheng X, Liu M, Shen X, Li J, Yu S, Zou J, Ding C. Experimental infection of duck origin virulent Newcastle disease virus strain in ducks. BMC veterinary research. 2014 Dec; 10(1):1-9.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDeist MS, Gallardo RA, Bunn DA, Dekkers JC, Zhou H, Lamont SJ. Resistant and susceptible chicken lines show distinctive responses to Newcastle disease virus infection in the lung transcriptome. BMC genomics. 2017 Dec; 18:1-5.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eEl-Safty SA. Comparative study on some immunological traits in two different genetic groups of chicken. Veterinary World. 2012 Nov 1; 5 (11):645-50.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHossain I, Parvin R, Rahman MM, Begum JA, Chowdhury EH, Islam MR, Diel DG, Nooruzzaman M. Comparative pathogenicity of a genotype XXI. 1.2 pigeon Newcastle disease virus isolate in pigeons and chickens. Microbial Pathogenesis. 2023 May 1; 178:106068.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eIgwe AO, Agbakwuru IO. Haemagglutination inhibition antibody responses of pullet and broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) to Newcastle disease virus LaSota vaccination. Sokoto Journal of Veterinary Sciences. 2018;16(4):36-42.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eIsham IM, Hassan MS, Abd-Elsalam RM, Ranaweera HA, Mahmoud ME, Najimudeen SM, Ghaffar A, Cork SC, Gupta A, Abdul-Careem MF. Impact of Maternal Antibodies on Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) Infection in Primary and Secondary Lymphoid Organs of Chickens. Vaccines. 2023 Jul 7;11(7):1216.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKokate LS, Kumar S, Rahim A, Das AK. Estimating serological immune response against Newcastle disease vaccine in Aseel, Kadaknath and White Leghorn chicken using haemagglutination inhibition test. Ind J Anim Sci. 2017 Feb 1; 87 (2):136-8.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLiu M, Shen X, Yu Y, Li J, Fan J, Jia X, Dai Y. Effect of Different Levels of Maternally Derived Genotype VII Newcastle Disease Virus-Specific Hemagglutination Inhibition Antibodies on Protection against Virulent Challenge in Chicks. Viruses. 2023 Aug 30;15(9):1840.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMahamud SN, Bello MB, Ideris A, Omar AR. Efficacy of genotype-matched Newcastle disease virus vaccine formulated in carboxymethyl sago starch acid hydrogel in chickens vaccinated via different routes. Journal of Veterinary Science. 2022 Jul;23 (4).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMoustapha A, Talaki E, Akourki A and Ousseini M. Newcastle Disease Virus in Poultry: Current Status and Control Prospects. University of Lom\u0026eacute; (UL), Regional Center of Excellence on Avian Sciences (CERSA).2023. 01 BP: 1515, Lom\u0026eacute;, Togo\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOIE. Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals: Mammals, Birds and Bees, Biological Standards Commission. World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). 2023, Paris, pp. 1\u0026ndash;19.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOjiezeh TI, Morka VO, Okiki PA. Hemogram and antibody profiles of local and broiler chickens under different vaccination programs. Journal of Animal and Poultry Sciences. 2014;3(2):47-56.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOkoro VM, Ravhuhali KE, Mapholi TH, Mbajiorgu EF, Mbajiorgu CA. Effect of age on production characteristics of Boschveld indigenous chickens of South Africa reared intensively. South African Journal of Animal Science. 2017 Jan 1; 47(2):157-67.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOkuliarova M, Kankova Z, Bertin A, Leterrier C, Mostl E, Zeman M. Maternally derived egg hormones, antibodies and antimicrobial proteins: common and different pathways of maternal effects in Japanese quail. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 12; 9 (11):e112817.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOrajaka LJ, Ezema WS. The effects of Newcastle disease vaccine (Komarov) on unvaccinated local hens. Nigerian Veterinary Journal. 2004; 25 (2):60-5.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eParmentier HK, Harms E, Lammers A, Nieuwland MG. Age and genetic selection affect auto-immune profiles of chickens. Developmental \u0026amp; Comparative Immunology. 2014 Dec 1; 47 (2):205-14.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSeal BS, King DJ, Sellers HS. The avian response to Newcastle disease virus. Developmental \u0026amp; Comparative Immunology. 2000 Mar 1; 24(2-3):257-68.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eShrestha A, Meeuws R, Sadeyen JR, Chang P, Van Hulten M, Iqbal M. Haemagglutinin antigen selectively targeted to chicken CD83 overcomes interference from maternally derived antibodies in chickens. npj Vaccines. 2022 Mar 3;7(1):33.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWang X, Zhou Q, Shen J, Yao J, Yang X. Effect of difference doses of Newcastle disease vaccine immunization on growth performance, plasma variables and immune response of broilers. Journal of animal science and biotechnology. 2015 Dec;6:1-5.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable 1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"\" width=\"532\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.454033771106943%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.637898686679176%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of sera tested\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.765478424015008%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of sera tested negative\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"28.142589118198874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverall percentage of negative sera\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.454033771106943%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoschveld\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.637898686679176%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.765478424015008%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"28.142589118198874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.875\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.454033771106943%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHyline Brown\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.637898686679176%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.765478424015008%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"28.142589118198874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.750\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"26.454033771106943%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"20.637898686679176%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e160\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.765478424015008%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"28.142589118198874%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.625\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"35.48983364140481%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVaccination number (Vn)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"31.23844731977819%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoschveld\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.271719038817004%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHyline Brown\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"35.48983364140481%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eV1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"31.23844731977819%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.271719038817004%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"35.48983364140481%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eV2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"31.23844731977819%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.271719038817004%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"35.48983364140481%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eV3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"31.23844731977819%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.271719038817004%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"35.48983364140481%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eV4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"31.23844731977819%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.271719038817004%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"35.48983364140481%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"31.23844731977819%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.271719038817004%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.274956217162874%\" rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge (days) \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.72504378283713%\" colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66.6219%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImmune response of birds 10 dpi (Geometric Mean Ab titer \u0026plusmn; SD) Log \u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"50%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoschveld\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"50%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHyline Brown\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 1 (1\u003csup\u003est\u003c/sup\u003e vaccination)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 3.21\u0026plusmn;0.43\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;4.95\u0026plusmn;0.21\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;11 (10dpi)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.59 \u0026plusmn;0.28\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;8.67 \u0026plusmn;0.01\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;69 (2\u003csup\u003end\u003c/sup\u003e vaccination)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.03\u0026plusmn;0.22\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;6.43\u0026plusmn;0.07\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;79 (10dpi)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.02\u0026plusmn;0.25\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e11.00 \u0026plusmn;0.02\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e111 (3\u003csup\u003erd\u003c/sup\u003e vaccination)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.46\u0026plusmn;0.22\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; 9.57\u0026plusmn;0.04\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e121 (10dpi)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.96 \u0026plusmn;0.24\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.28 \u0026plusmn;0.02\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e195 (4\u003csup\u003eth\u003c/sup\u003e vaccination)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.72\u0026plusmn;0.12\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.62\u0026plusmn;0.09\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.21678321678322%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e205 (10 dpi)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.98 \u0026plusmn;0.02\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.39160839160839%\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.6891%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.85 \u0026plusmn;0.31\u003csup\u003e\u0026nbsp;a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;p2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSD = Standard deviation;\u0026nbsp;Different superscripts (\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sub\u003eand \u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e) within the rows show significant differences (p \u0026lt; 0.05). \u003csub\u003eP0=\u003c/sub\u003e the chickens that are biologically protected against the ND virus but are still at risk if the vNDV virus strikes. \u003csub\u003eP1\u003c/sub\u003e=the chickens that are biologically protected against ND virus but at less risk if vNDV virus strikes. \u003csub\u003eP2=\u003c/sub\u003e the chickens are fully protected against ND even if vNDV strikes.\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Boschveld, Hyline-Brown, Newcastle Disease Vaccine, Haemagglutination inhibition assay","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3866661/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3866661/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study evaluated Boschveld chicken\u0026rsquo;s antibody response to a Newcastle Disease (ND) vaccination program designed for the Hyline Brown chickens. Both chicken breeds were challenged with the LaSota vaccine at days 1, 69, 111, and 195. A total of 160 sera samples were collected, 80 from each breed. The sera were tested for anti-Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) antibodies using the Haemagglutination inhibition assay. The anti-NDV antibody titers were expressed in log 2 as geometric mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation. Antibody titers were evaluated and compared pre-infection and 10 days post-infection (dpi). Sera positivity to anti-NDV was tested at 10 dpi. A higher percentage of negative sera (6.875) was recorded in Boschveld than in Hyline Brown chickens (3.75). Hyline Brown chicks had a higher antibody titer (4.95\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.21) than Boschveld (3.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43) before any vaccination. There was a significant association (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) between the number of vaccinations and antibody titers in both chicken breeds. Sera from the Boschveld reached a higher antibody titer value (13.98) than that of Hyline Brown chickens (13.85). The Boschveld had a higher immune response peak and immunological memory compared to the Hyline Brown chickens. The candidate genes from Boschveld chickens can be introgressed in highly productive chicken germplasm with less NDV response as an alternative solution to ND. The antibody titers of the Boschveld did not change significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) after the 4th vaccination time while those from Hyline Brown chickens continued to increase. The 4th ND vaccination must be ignored or delayed in Boschveld chickens.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Immune Response of Boschveld Chickens to a Newcastle Disease Vaccination Program Designed for Commercial Layers","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-02-20 12:52:31","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3866661/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f25b4fb4-911b-4165-b850-7d258bfca796","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 20th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-03-22T12:31:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-02-20 12:52:31","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3866661","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3866661","identity":"rs-3866661","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}