Immune responses upon experimental Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection of naïve and vaccinated chickens

TY - JOUR

T1 - Immune responses upon experimental Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection of naïve and vaccinated chickens

AU - Wattrang, Eva

AU - Eriksson, Helena

AU - Jinnerot, Tomas

AU - Persson, Maria

AU - Bagge, Elisabeth

AU - Söderlund, Robert

AU - Naghizadeh, Mohammad

AU - Dalgaard, Tina Sørensen

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Erysipelas, a disease caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (ER), is an increasing problem in laying hens housed in cage-free systems. This study aimed to monitor immune responses during ER infection of naïve chickens and chickens vaccinated intra muscularly with a commercial inactivated ER vaccine. Chickens were infected intra muscularly with ER at 30 days of age and blood leukocyte counts, serum levels of mannose binding lectin (MBL) and ER-specific IgY were monitored until the experiment was terminated at day 15 after infection. ER was detected in blood from more chickens and at higher bacterial counts in the naïve group (day 1: 1 of 7 chickens; day 3: 6 of 6 chickens) than in the vaccinated group (day 1: 0 of 7 chickens; day 3: 1 of 6 chickens). During the acute phase of infection transient increases in circulating heterophil numbers and serum MBL levels were detected in all ER infected chickens but these responses were prolonged in chickens from the naïve group compared to vaccinated chickens. Before infection IgY titers to ER in vaccinated chickens did not differ significantly from those of naïve chickens but vaccinated chickens showed significantly increased IgY titers to ER earlier after infection compared to chickens in the naïve group. In conclusion, the ER infection elicited prompt acute innate responses in all chickens. Vaccinated chickens did not have high IgY titers to ER prior to infection but did however show lower levels of bacteraemia and their acute immune responses were of shorter duration.

AB - Erysipelas, a disease caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (ER), is an increasing problem in laying hens housed in cage-free systems. This study aimed to monitor immune responses during ER infection of naïve chickens and chickens vaccinated intra muscularly with a commercial inactivated ER vaccine. Chickens were infected intra muscularly with ER at 30 days of age and blood leukocyte counts, serum levels of mannose binding lectin (MBL) and ER-specific IgY were monitored until the experiment was terminated at day 15 after infection. ER was detected in blood from more chickens and at higher bacterial counts in the naïve group (day 1: 1 of 7 chickens; day 3: 6 of 6 chickens) than in the vaccinated group (day 1: 0 of 7 chickens; day 3: 1 of 6 chickens). During the acute phase of infection transient increases in circulating heterophil numbers and serum MBL levels were detected in all ER infected chickens but these responses were prolonged in chickens from the naïve group compared to vaccinated chickens. Before infection IgY titers to ER in vaccinated chickens did not differ significantly from those of naïve chickens but vaccinated chickens showed significantly increased IgY titers to ER earlier after infection compared to chickens in the naïve group. In conclusion, the ER infection elicited prompt acute innate responses in all chickens. Vaccinated chickens did not have high IgY titers to ER prior to infection but did however show lower levels of bacteraemia and their acute immune responses were of shorter duration.

KW - CD45

KW - chicken

KW - chicken mannose receptor MRC1L-B

KW - Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

KW - IgY

KW - leukocyte counts

KW - mannose-binding lectin

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091051724&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/s13567-020-00830-9

DO - 10.1186/s13567-020-00830-9

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32928307

AN - SCOPUS:85091051724

SN - 0928-4249

VL - 51

JO - Veterinary Research

JF - Veterinary Research

IS - 1

M1 - 114

ER -