Abstract
Campylobacter is the main cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide, with 50 to 80% of the cases related to consumption of poultry products. Maternal antibodies (MAB) from commercial breeder flocks may protect their progeny against infection during the first few weeks of life. We here studied the prevalence of Campylobacter antibody titers in broiler breeder flocks and to which extent immunization of broiler breeders increases maternal anti-Campylobacter titers in their progeny and protects the offspring against Campylobacter colonization. Two vaccines were used: a bacterin mix of 13 Campylobacter strains and a subunit vaccine comprising 6 immunodominant Campylobacter antigens. All sampled on-farm breeder flocks were positive for anti-Campylobacter antibodies, yet in some breeder flocks only very low titers were detected. Vaccination of SPF broiler breeder flocks with both subunit and bacterin vaccines resulted in a prolonged presence of anti-Campylobacter antibodies in the serum and intestinal mucus of chicks. These bacterin- or subunit vaccine-induced MAB conferred protection against Campylobacter colonization in chicks until 7 and 21 d of age, respectively, but only at a low challenge dose (102.5 cfu). The concentration of MAB in the mucus is probably too low to sufficiently capture Campylobacter when higher challenge doses are used. In conclusion, vaccinating broiler breeders protects their offspring against Campylobacter colonization under low pathogen exposure conditions.