Efficacy of experimental inactivated mycoplasma gallisepticum oil-emulsion bacterin in egg-layer chickens

Six groups of white leghorn pullets were studied to determine the ability of beta-propiolactone-inactivated Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) oil-emulsion bacterins to counteract reductions in egg production caused by MG infection. The pullets were inoculated with 0.5 ml of MG bacterin subcutaneously in the neck at about 20 weeks of age and were challenged with MG near 28 weeks of age, when they were in peak egg production. Various challenge schemes with infectious bronchitis virus were used at the time of MG challenge to increase the reduction in egg production. MG bacterins afforded protection against moderate drops in egg production in at least three of the studies, where the unvaccinated challenged control hens exhibited reduced egg production.