Laryngotracheitis in Chickens: Infection Studies and the Efficacy of a Tissue-Culture Vaccine in Chicks less than Four Weeks Old

Challenge studies using the standard National Veterinary Services Laboratory laryngotracheitis (LT) challenge virus (Log 10(6.7) EID50 per ml) were conducted to assess the presence of maternal protection in chicks of various ages (1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days). Chicks from vaccinated and unvaccinated breeders were challenged by intratracheal inoculation. Chicks of all these ages irrespective of origin were susceptible to infection. Similarly derived chicks were vaccinated by eyedrop with a commercially available tissue-culture vaccine. Chicks vaccinated at 21 and 28 days were adequately protected from challenge (77-94% protection), whereas less than 60% of chicks vaccinated at 1, 7, or 14 days were protected.