Two killed adjuvanted
vaccines were evaluated for their efficacy against
salmonellosis in pigeons. Both
vaccines contained whole-cell
formaldehyde-inactivated Salmonella typhimurium var. Copenhagen bacteria. Two groups of 10 pigeons were inoculated twice with a 3-week interval with one of the
vaccines. Ten weeks after the second vaccination, all vaccinated pigeons as well as 10 non-vaccinated birds were challenged by crop inoculation of 10(9) colony-forming units of a Salmonella serotype Typhimurium var. Copenhagen strain. Ten pigeons that were not vaccinated or challenged served as negative controls. As determined by clinical examination, plasma chemistry and necropsy, neither
vaccine induced protection against challenge. The only significant effects observed were a reduction in the level of faecal shedding and a less severe
polydipsia in the pigeons treated with one of the two
vaccines. Results of this study indicate that vaccination against
salmonellosis in pigeons with
killed vaccines may not be very useful. However, the ability of certain
vaccines to reduce shedding may contribute to the control of
salmonellosis in infected pigeon lofts.