Vaccination of ring-necked pheasant for marble spleen disease.

Laboratory evidence indicates that a safe and effective procedure was developed for vaccinating pheasants against marble spleen disease. Field trials confirm the safety of the vaccine and suggest that vaccination will prevent marble spleen disease. Vaccination is by drinking-water administration of turkey-spleen-propagated turkey-origin live avirulent virus to pheasants 4 1/2 weeks old or older. The effect of field vaccination was studied in 39,000 pheasants in pens where recurrent annual mortality had been 5-15%.