Poulvac E. coli
Active substance
ATC code
Species
Chickens (broilers, future layers/breeders) and turkeys.
Indications
For active immunisation of broiler chickens, future layer/breeders and turkeys in order to reduce mortality and lesions (pericarditis, perihepatitis, airsacculitis) associated with Escherichia coli serotype O78.
Onset of immunity:
Chickens: 2 weeks after vaccination for the reduction of lesions. The onset of immunity has not been established for the mortality claim.
Turkeys: 3 weeks after second vaccination for the reduction of lesions and mortality.
Duration of immunity:
Chickens: 8 weeks for the reduction of lesions and 12 weeks for the reduction of mortality (spray). 12 weeks for the reduction of lesions and mortality (drinking water).
Turkeys: duration of immunity has not been established.
A cross protection study showed reduction of incidence and severity of airsacculitis caused by E. coli serotypes O1, O2 and O18 for spray application for chickens. For these serotypes no onset of immunity or duration of immunity was established.
Dose to be administered and administration route
Coarse spray administration for chickens / turkeys or in drinking water use for chickens.
Upon reconstitution, transparent to white-yellowish and opaque suspension (depending on the volume of diluent used).
Vaccination schedule
Chickens: One dose of vaccine from 1 day of age by coarse spray administration or one dose of vaccine from 5 days of age by drinking water administration.
Turkeys: One dose of vaccine from 1 day of age followed by second dose of vaccine 3 weeks later by coarse spray administration.
Administration
Spray application:
Use clean vaccination materials and turn off ventilation until 15 minutes after vaccination.
Remove seal and stopper. Half-fill the vial with chlorine-free water at room temperature. Replace the stopper and shake well until dissolved. Pour the reconstituted vaccine into a clean container and add chlorine-free water to further dilute the vaccine in order to obtain an even distribution when sprayed onto the birds.
No disinfectants or other substances impairing the performance of the live vaccine should be used in the sprayer.
Dilute and administer the reconstituted vaccine at a rate of one dose of reconstituted vaccine per bird, according to the directions of your specific coarse spray vaccination equipment. The recommended volume for 1 dose is between 0.1 and 0.5 ml. The spraying distance should be between 30 and 80 cm above the animals in order to ensure an even distribution and the recommended droplet size is greater than 100 µm.
In drinking water use:
Make sure that all conduit pipes, tubing, troughs, drinkers etc. are thoroughly clean and free of any trace of disinfectants, detergents, soap, etc. and antibiotics. Contact with disinfectants makes the vaccine ineffective.
Allow water to be consumed so that levels of drinkers are minimal before vaccine is applied. All tubing should be emptied of plain water, so that the drinkers contain only vaccine water.
It may be necessary to withhold water prior to vaccination in order to ensure that all birds drink during the vaccination period.
Open the vaccine vial under water and dissolve thoroughly in a container. Care should be taken to empty the vial and its top completely by rinsing them in water. Do not split large vials to vaccinate more than 1 house or drinking system, as this may lead to mixing errors.
Use cold and fresh non-chlorinated water that is free from metal-ions. Low-fat skimmed milk powder (i.e. < 1% fat) may be added to the water (2–4 grams per litre) or skimmed milk (20–40 ml per litre of water) to improve the water quality and to increase the stability of the bacteria.
Ideally, vaccine should be administered in the volume of water consumed by the birds in up to 3 hours. The aim is to give every bird one dose of vaccine. As a general rule, apply reconstituted vaccine to chlorine-free and fresh water at the rate of 1,000 doses of the vaccine to 1 litre of water per day of age for 1,000 chickens, e.g. 10 litres would be needed for 1,000 10-day old chickens. If in doubt, measure water intake the day before administering vaccine.
Administer the dissolved vaccine to birds immediately after reconstitution.
Avoid exposure of the vaccine suspension to sunlight.
Adverse reactions
None known.
