Butylated hydroxytoluene protects chickens exposed to Newcastle disease virus

Dietary butylated hydroxytoluene, an antioxidant widely used in food and feed processing, prevents mortality of chickens exposed to virulent Newcastle disease virus and prevents the serological response of chickens exposed to avirulent Newcastle disease virus. This chemoprophylactic effect is evident when chickens are fed diets containing concentrations of butylated hydroxytoluene normally used for antioxidant purposes (100 to 200 parts per million of total diet).