DEVELOPMENT OF FORMALIN KILLED VACCINE FOR INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF ESCHERICHIA COLI INFECTIONS IN POULTRY

Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections are a major challenge in poultry farming, causing serious health issues and financial loses. While vaccination could be a practical solution, the effectiveness of formalin-killed E. coli vaccines hasnt been widely explored. This study set out to determine whether such a vaccine could help protect chickens from infection. To do this, 15 broiler chickens were divided into two groups’ one vaccinated (10 chickens) and one unvaccinated (5 chickens). After receiving the vaccine, the birds were observed for three weeks before being challenged with Wild pathogen which was isolated from a sick bird and confirmed to be E. Coli through biochemical test. They were monitored closely, with special attention to signs of illness and survival rates. The results showed that vaccinated chickens experienced fewer symptoms with no mortality rates (0%) compared to Control (the unvaccinated) with mortality rate of 80%. These findings suggest that formalin-killed vaccines could be a useful tool for poultry farmers in managing E. coli infections. However, more research is needed to fine-tune the vaccine, explore long-term immunity, and see how it performs under different farming conditions.