Transfer of antibodies elicited by baculovirus-derived VP2 of a very virulent bursal disease virus strain to progeny of commercial breeder chickens

A baculovirus-derived recombinant VP2 (rVP2) subunit vaccine elicited anti-infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) antibodies in commercial flocks. The induced antibody levels were similar to those evoked against IBDV by a commercial vaccine. The levels remained higher than that of the negative controls for at least four and a half months in commercial chickens. The antibodies were also transferred to their offspring and were detected in the blood of the progeny for at least 20 days after hatching. These results, along with former data, that show that antibodies elicited by baculovirus rVP2 confer protection to chickens from IBDV [J. Pitcovski et al. (1996), Insect cell-derived VP2 of infectious bursal disease confers protection against the disease in chickens. Avian Diseases, 40, 753-761], imply that the baculovirus-derived rVP2 subunit may serve as a successful vaccine for commercial breeding flocks.