International Journal of Poultry Science 7 (7): 676-677, 2008 ISSN 1682-8356 © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2008 676 Clinical and Immunological Parameters of Newcastle Disease Vaccination in Chinese Goose (Anser cygnoides) Josie Maria Campioni , Antonio Carlos Paulillo , 1 2,3 Elizabeth Moreira dos Santos Schmidt and Márcia Nishizawa 2,4 5 Aluna Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária da FCAV-Unesp, Jaboticabal, Brazil 1 Bolsista CAPES, Brazil 1 Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, FCAV, Unesp, Jaboticabal, Brazil 2 Research Fellow CNPq-Brazil 3 Post-Doctorate Researcher (FAPESP), Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, 4 FCAV, Unesp, Jaboticabal, Brazil Docente, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil 5 Abstract: Clinical and immunological parameters of vaccinated Chinese goose against Newcastle disease were evaluated. One hundred and twenty birds were distributed into four different experimental groups, vaccinated or not against Newcastle disease (ND): G1 (Ulster 2C strain), G2 (B1 strain), G3 (LaSota strain) and G4 (nonvaccinated -control).The immune response was evaluated by the HI test. The vaccinations of Chinese geese with NDV Ulster 2C, B1 and LaSota strains did not cause any clinical signs associated with post-vaccinal reactions and were similar in the humoral immune response stimulus (HI). Key words: Chinese goose, vaccination, newcastle disease, ulster 2C, B1 and lasota strains Introduction Chinese goose also known as the swan goose (Anser cygnoides Linnaeus, 1758, Anseriformes:Anatidae) is extensively kept as poultry. A large number of breeds have been selected in captivity, known as Chinese goose. Chinese geese differ from the wild birds in much larger size (up to 5-10 kg in males, 4-9 kg in females) and in having an often strongly developed basal knob on the upper side of the bill (Buckland and Guy, 2002). Newcastle disease (ND) is an acute, highly contagious viral disease in birds, which can cause high level (up to Experimental birds and management: A total number of 100%) mortality in chickens, the most important natural 120 day-old Chinese geese were distributed into four host of the disease, but it can also affect a variety of different treatments of 30 birds each. Birds were avian species, causing severe disease. The disease, designated to treatments, according to vaccination strain regarded as being endemic in many countries, is as G1 (Ulster 2C), G2 (B1), G3 (LaSota) and to treatment caused by an avian Paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1), G4 (control group-not vaccinated). Chinese geese were which is a member of the genus Avulavirus, of the allocated in experimental floor-pen housed, receiving Paramyxoviridae family (Mayo, 2002). Newcastle water and feed ad libitum. The feed was formulated with disease is one of the main sanitary barrier for the corn and soybean according with NRC (1994) international trade of poultry and poultry products (Office recommendations. International Des Epizooties, 1996). The disease is world-wide distributed in a large range of hosts, with 27 Vaccines: Commercial line NDV vaccines (Ulster 2C, B1 of the 50 orders of birds reported to be possibly infected and LaSota strains) were administered to each by this agent (Kaleta and Baldauf, 1988). One of the experimental group, as described by Paulillo et al. affected species is the Chinese goose, which (1996). Birds were vaccinated at seven days of age and commercial production is extensively distributed in revaccinated at 21 days of age with the same vaccine several countries around the world for meat, fine strain that was applied in the first vaccination. Vaccine feathers and down for use in garment and household titers were obtained by determining 50% of the embryo- linen industries (Buckland and Guy, 2002). However, infecting dose in embryonated eggs of specific- there is little information available on health pathogen-free breeders at 8 and 10 days of incubation. programs in this species. Because of the potential of Titers os live vaccine strains Ulster 2C, B1 and LaSota these birds to produce high nutritive meat and the were 7.15 log10/0.1mL, 7.2 log10/0.1mL, and 7.35 economic importance of feathers and down production the massive production of this species is increasing in many countries and this may cause high bird concentration in some areas that can lead to the dissemination of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the humoral antibody response and clinical parameters of China´s geese vaccinated against Newcastle disease. Materials and Methods