Fowlpox virus: pathogenicity and vaccination of day-old chickens via the aerosol route

Day-old chickens were given a single fowlpox virus vaccination (strain HP201) either via the aerosol or wing-web route. Both methods induced protective immunity against a wing-web or intravenous challenge with virulent fowlpox virus at 47 days old, although high titred virus preparations were required for successful aerosol vaccination. However, no clinical signs of infection were observed as a result of aerosol vaccination even if invasive strains of Escherichia coli were administered simultaneously. The use of aerosol fowlpox virus vaccination of day-old chicks has been shown to be a possible means of mass vaccination and could be applied to the use of fowlpox virus in recombinant vaccines.