Vaccination of turkeys in the wattles (dewlap) with turkey meningo-encephalitis live vaccine and Pasteurella multocida killed-in-oil vaccine.

Vaccination of turkeys via the wattle has been introduced as a novel route of vaccination using attenuated live viral turkey meningo-encephalitis (TME) and killed-in-oil bacterial (Pasteurella multocida) vaccines. The efficacy of the immunization was evaluated by the haemagglutination-inhibition test for TME and by challenge for TME and P. multocida. Immunization via the wattle route was comparable or better as compared with the conventional routes, intramuscular and subcutaneous, for P. multocida and TME, respectively. These results were obtained by wattle vaccination administered either by injection, punching with a needle as used for fowl pox vaccination or by topical application. The advantages of wattle vaccination are: no local untoward reactions (P. multocida), which might frequently occur in the muscles following improper subcutaneous mass vaccination, less time and labour consuming, and less stress for the turkeys. It is suggested to test the wattle route of vaccination with other viral and bacterial vaccines in turkeys and other avian species.