Immunogenicity of an Escherichia coli multivalent pilus vaccine in chickens.

Immunogenicity of an oil-emulsified Escherichia coli multivalent pilus vaccine was evaluated in 4-week-old chickens. The vaccine contained 180 micrograms of pilus protein from each of serotypes O1 and O78 and 170 micrograms of pilus protein from serotype O2. Chickens were vaccinated twice subcutaneously at 4 and 6 weeks old and challenged via the posterior thoracic air sac with E. coli serotype O1, O2, or O78 2 weeks after the last vaccination. Unvaccinated challenged chickens suffered 8% to 26% mortality; no vaccinated chickens died. Vaccinated chickens had very mild gross lesions in the air sacs, livers, and pericardial sacs and eliminated E. coli more efficiently than the unvaccinated challenged chickens. The results showed that a multivalent pilus vaccine protects chickens against active respiratory infection.