Necrotic Enteritis Vaccine Being Field Tested in US

Because the vaccine has proved to be safe and fills a special need, USDA agreed to issue a conditional license after Schering-Plough Animal Health demonstrated a "reasonable expectation of efficacy" for the necrotic enteritis toxoid.

Schering-Plough Animal Health is now conducting large-scale efficacy trials with the toxoid with major U.S. poultry companies while pursuing a full USDA license. It is considered a toxoid because the vaccine is made with the toxin developed by the target pathogen, not the bacterium itself.

"The necrotic enteritis vaccine is yet another example of our commitment to bring innovative, science-based products to the poultry industry to complement our line of coccidiosis vaccines," says Stephen P. Collins, Vice President, Global Poultry for Schering-Plough Animal Health. "We’re grateful to the U.S. poultry companies who are working with us to develop this product for commercial use."

The causative agent of necrotic enteritis, Clostridium perfringens, is a ubiquitous anaerobic bacterium found in soil, dust, feces, feed and poultry litter. C. perfringens has been described as "an opportunistic bacterium" that takes advantage of alterations in the normal bacterial flora of the intestine. It is hoped that the vaccine will provide a drug-free tool for managing this disease.

Sign up for our
regular news updates

Latest Poultry Industry News

•   BIRD FLU: Why Indonesia Hoards Samples
•   Ready-to-Cook Weight Up 6 Percent from Last Year
•   Sales Slump in the Organic Egg Market
•   Coccidia in Broilers Found to Be Increasing
•   19 US Poultry Companies Banned from Exports
•   Uplift of Livestock NWFP Govt's Top Priority
•   Learning About Animal Welfare Online
•   FSIS: Generic Approval for COOL Issued
•   Weekly US Broiler Hatchery Report
•   CME: Pork and Poultry Exports to Russia