Nobilis IB 4-91

General

Administration of 1 dose per animal by:

- oculonasal use (coarse spray or intranasal/ocular administration); or - in drinking water use.

The vaccine may be delivered as a freeze-dried cake in a glass vial or as freezedried spheres in cups. In case of the latter presentation the cups may contain 3 up to 100 spheres depending on the required dosages and production yields.

In case of the product presented in cups, do not use the product if the contents are brownish and stick to the container as this indicates that the integrity of the container has been breached. Each container should be used immediately and completely after opening.

Guideline/vaccination scheme

Broiler: The vaccine can be administered to 1-day-old chicks and older chickens by coarse spray or by intranasal/ocular administration. The vaccine can be administered to 7-day and older chickens by drinking water.

Future layers and breeders: The vaccine can be administered to future layers and breeders from day old onwards via intranasal/ocular route or coarse spray. The vaccine can be administered to 7-day and older chickens by drinking water. For prolonged immunity, chickens should be revaccinated every 6 weeks after the initial administration.

Ocular/intranasal administration or coarse spray gives the best responses, and these should be the methods of choice, especially when vaccinating young chickens.

Drinking water use

The vials should be opened under water or the content of the cup(s) should be poured into the water. In both cases mix the water containing the vaccine well before use. After reconstitution the suspension looks clear.

Use cool, clean water to dissolve the vaccine. For administration of the vaccine, as a general rule, dissolve 1,000 doses in one litre per age in days up to a maximum volume of 20 litres per 1,000 doses. For heavy breeds, or in hot weather, the quantity of water may be increased up to 40 litres per 1,000 doses. By adding approximately 2 grams of skimmed milk powder or 20 ml of liquid skimmed milk per litre of water to the drinking water, the vaccine virus retains its activity longer.

Ensure that all the vaccine suspension is consumed within 1 - 2 hours. The vaccine should be given in the early morning as this is the main period of water intake or during the cool period on a hot day. Feed should be available when vaccinating. Water should be withheld before vaccination to make the chickens thirsty. The length of time of water deprivation is strongly dependent on the climatological circumstances. Water withholding should be kept as short as possible with a minimum of half an hour. A sufficient number of water containers to provide adequate drinking space is essential. These should be clean and free from traces of detergents and disinfectants.

Turn on mains water when all the vaccine water has been consumed.

Spray method

The vaccine should preferably be dissolved in distilled water or alternatively in cool, clean water. The appropriate number of vials should be opened under water or the content of the cup(s) should be poured into the water. In both cases mix the water containing the vaccine well before use. After reconstitution the suspension looks clear.

The volume of water for reconstitution should be sufficient to ensure an even distribution when sprayed onto the chickens. This will vary according to the age of the chickens being vaccinated and the management system, but 250 to 400 ml of water per 1,000 doses is suggested. The vaccine suspension should be spread evenly over the correct number of chickens, at a distance of 30–40 cm using a coarse spray, preferably when the chickens are sitting together in dim light. The spray apparatus should be free from sediments, corrosion and traces of disinfectants and ideally should be used for vaccination purposes only.

Intranasal/ocular administration

Dissolve the vaccine in physiological saline solution or sterile distilled water (usually 30 ml per 1,000 doses, 75 ml per 2,500 doses) and administer by means of a standardized dropper. One drop should be applied onto one nostril or one eye. Ensure that the nasal drop is inhaled before freeing the bird.

Vaccination programme

The veterinarian should determine the optimum vaccination schedule according to the local situation.

Guideline when the product is used with Nobilis IB Ma5

The instructions on reconstitution of both lyophilisates and the subsequent application are to be followed as outlined above for spray and intranasal/ocular administration. The same volumes as for the single product should be used. In-use shelf life after mixing: 2 hours.