April 29, 2013
Merck develops new salmonella enteritidis vaccine for poultry
Merck Animal Health introduced SE Guardâ„¢, a vaccine available for both broiler breeders and layers to control the threat of Salmonella enteritidis, which cost producers up to US$300 million in annual losses due to contamination in egg and meat products.
"Given the seriousness of this disease challenge, producers are keenly aware of how vital it is to have a strong, FDA-compliant Salmonella enteritidis control program in place," says Charles Broussard, D.V.M, MAM, Merck Animal Health. "Vaccinating with SE Guard as part of a comprehensive program helps reduce colonisation and shedding of the bacteria within the flock."
"Minimising infection in an operation also helps translate into a safer food supply for consumers, which is important given that cases of Salmonella have increased since 2008. It's the most common infection with 1.2 million cases reported annually in the United States," says Dr Broussard, according to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention report in 2011.
With flexible timing options for administration, SE Guard is easily incorporated into any comprehensive Salmonella enteritidis protection programme. Humoral antibodies protect pullets when vaccinated at least 10 weeks of age. A second vaccination is recommended a minimum six weeks following initial vaccination.
