The Effect of Social Stress and Vitamin C on Immunity and Response to Hemorrhagic Enteritis Virus in Turkeys

Hemorrhagic Enteritis (HE) vaccine is perhaps the most commonly used vaccine in the turkey industry. Although it provides protection against clinical disease, the vaccine is still thought to produce transient immunosuppression. In the field, HE still remains a significant concern for turkey producers. Research conducted over the years has shown that management stressors such as movement of turkeys from brooding to finishing environments and the timing of these stressors may influence the short-term response to vaccination. Strategic stress application may be of benefit in the optimization of protective responses and the development of vaccination protocols without detrimental effects on performance. Ascorbic acid may also have important implications on social stress and may play a role in immunity and response to HE vaccination in turkeys. Trials were conducted to examine the interrelationship among social stress, nutrition (vitamin C), immunity and their influence on response to hemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) vaccination. Stress is unavoidable, however if it is managed properly, it can be beneficial. In this dissertation, it was first demonstrated that stress in the form of social disruption can have negative physiological and immunological effects on turkey poults and that these effects can be alleviated with the addition of 300mg/kg vitamin C to the diet. Secondly, it was also demonstrated that when stress is applied on the day of vaccination, response to HEV vaccination can be improved. Thirdly, vitamin C supplementation at 300mg/kg can improve responses to HEV vaccination. However, it was concluded that vitamin C supplementation during periods of simultaneous stress application and vaccination does not provide benefit to response to vaccination.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Veterinary Medical Sciences

Department dc:contributor.department

Veterinary Medical Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Meade, Sharonda Madrica

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Pierson, Frank William

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Ahmed, S. Ansar
• Meng, Xiang-Jin
• Larsen, Calvert T.
• McElroy, Audrey P.

• turkeys
• hemorrhagic enteritis virus
• HEV
• vitamin C

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-12212004-140717

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/30204