Laboratory and field trials with formalin-inactivated Escherichia coli (O78)-Pasteurella anatipestifer bacterin in white pekin ducks.

A combination Escherichia coli serotype O78 and Pasteurella anatipestifer bacterin was developed and tested in white pekin ducks in laboratory and field trials. Inoculations with bacterin at 2 and 3 weeks of age provided significant protection against challenge with virulent E. coli O78 and Pasteurella anatipestifer serotypes 1, 2, and 5. No significant cross-protection was observed against heterologous E. coli serotypes, although there was a slight reduction in mortality in ducklings challenged with E. coli serotypes O2a and O119. In field trials, the E. coli-P. anatipestifer bacterin produced significant reduction of mortality in commercial white pekin ducks compared with P. anatipestifer bacterin.