Research being conducted by the USDA ARS SPARC- FFSRU and Texas A&M University, is looking at developing a Salmonella vaccine that can be injected into the embryo.

The E-Beam technology damages the DNA of the live salmonella and kills the virus but the surface antigenic properties of the Salmonella Typhimurium are unaltered.

Speaking at the International Poultry Science Forum in Atlanta Georgia, J.L. McReynolds from the USDA ARS said the research was showing that the birds were having an enhanced immunity to salmonella.

The experiment had taken the Salmonella Typhimurium and killed it through E Beam irradiation.

The vaccine was then injected into the eggs using an In Ovo method on day 18.

Samples were collected from the birds three days after hatching to examine the presence of salmonella.

"It is well known that ionizing radiation damages the nucleic acids by "direct and/or indirect" effects thereby inactivating the organism," Dr McReynolds told the forum.

"Though the cells are inactivated, our studies suggest that the surface antigenic properties of Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) are unaltered.

"The present investigations (3 replicates) were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine on heterophil function and ST colonisation in broilers."

Dr McReynolds concluded: "The results show that the immunological effects of these intact ST immuno-modulators in broilers do stimulate the immune system and provide protection against ST colonisation."

He added that using E-Beam technology over tradition irradiating methods had advantages in both safety and also perception.