**Vaccination for the Prevention of Cellulitis Using a Live E. coli Vaccine**

Brenda Allan & Susantha Gomis

Veterniary Infectious Disease Organization

Cellulitis, a localized infection caused by E. coli is the single largest reason for condemnation of broilers. Over the last ten years, the impact of cellulitis has greatly increased and in 199978 almost 4 million broilers were condemned for cellulitis. Currently no effective method for control of cellulitis exists.

Vaccination using a live attenuated oral E. coli vaccine has been shown to be effective in the control of respiratory colibacillosis in turkeys. We have examined the use of oral vaccination as a method to prevent cellulitis in broilers. We have shown that oral vaccination of young birds is sage. A single oral vaccination at day 14 or at day 21, however, did not reduce the incidence of cellulitis. In addition, dual oral vaccination at either days 1 and 14 or day 7 and 21 were not effective. A combination aerosol vaccination on day 1 followed by oral vaccination of days 14 and 21 produced no effect. Only when oral vaccination at day 1 was followed by vaccination with a subcutaneous injection of live bacteria on day 21 was a modest decrease in cellulitis observed. This vaccination strategy will not be useful under field conditions.

We have developed an enzyme link immunosorbent assay to detect anitibodies that are specific for the serogroup of the E. coli strain used for vaccination. This has allowed us to measure the specific humoral immune response to our vaccinations. Oral vaccination produced little or no circulating antibodies specific to the strain of E. coli used. The cell mediated immune response was not measured.

This research was supported by grants from the Alberta chicken Producers and the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute.

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Last modified: 5/28/2009