Putative protective antibody response following oral vaccination of multi-age free ranging helmeted guinea fowls (Numida meleagris) with Newcastle disease virus strain I-2 coated on oiled rice.

On-farm study was conducted to determine the efficacy of thermostable Newcastle disease (ND) strain I-2 vaccine coated on oiled rice following oral vaccination of multi-age free ranging helmeted guinea fowls. The results from haemagglutination-inhibition assay showed that 7 days after the guinea fowls were orally vaccinated they seroconverted and attained the geometric mean antibody titre (GMT) of 4.9 log(2) (80%). This antibody titre was above the GMT of 3.0 log(2) which is regarded to be protective against field challenge of ND. Furthermore, the results revealed that 28 days after vaccination, the antibody levels reached GMT of 7.6 log(2) (100%). Moreover, all vaccinated guinea fowls survived the challenge of virulent ND virus whereas all unvaccinated chickens died of ND. The findings from the present study showed that the I-2 virus coated on the oiled rice is safe, immunogenic and provoked production of protective antibody response following oral vaccination of helmeted guinea fowls.