A cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to chicken coccidia oocyst antigen extracts was shown in Single Comb White Leghorn chickens vaccinated with a commercially available coccidiosis vaccine (CocciVac® D) by delayed hypersensitivity (DH) and leukocyte stimulation. A particulate oocyst antigen from Eimeria necatrix gave positive DH wattle reaction in 10 of 20, 9-week-old chickens vaccinated at 4 weeks of age and 10 of 20, 33-week-old chickens which received 3 additional vaccinations at monthly intervals starting at 18 weeks of age. In contrast, only 4 of 20, 31-week-old chickens which received the 3 additional vaccinations gave positive stimulation reactions with blood derived leukocytes against alkali soluble oocyst antigen extracts from particulate oocyst antigens of E. necatrix and E. maxima. Forty unvaccinated control chickens did not produce significant DH reactions, although 1 of 20, 31-week-old control chickens did produce a positive stimulation response. The ability of the chicken to mount a measurable CMI response correlated with disease resistance. All chickens which produced a significant CMI response were totally refractory to challenge with either E. necatrix at 9 weeks or E. tenella at 33 weeks, while all but 1 unvaccinated chicken, which failed to produce positive cell-mediated immunity (CMI) reactions were susceptible to challenge. In addition, 2 of 20 and 2 of 10 vaccinated chickens which did not produce a significant CMI response at 9 and 33 weeks of age, respectively, were susceptible to challenge.
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Giambrone et al. (1980) studied this question.
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