Marek's disease vaccines cause temporary U-lymphocyte dysfunction and reduced resistance to infection in chicks

One-day-old chicks were vaccinated with one of the commercially used vaccines [herpes virus of turkeys (HVT), bivalent HVT+SB1 or Rispens] and the immune response and resistance to infection evaluated. A temporary depletion of B-lymphocyte activity of varying intensity was found, as demonstrated by a diminished response to a B-lymphocyte-specific mitogen in vitro, and by decreased antibody production to BSA in vivo. Of the three vaccines tested, the bivalent vaccine (HVT+SB1) and Rispens were the most damaging. A temporary decreased resistance to pathogenic E coli infection in vaccinated chicks was observed.