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Duck plague: Improved diagnostic methods and vaccination
Project ID
AS2/1991/022
Project Country
Commissioned Organisation
University of Queensland, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Australia
Project Leader
Professor Peter Spradbrow
p.spradbrow@mailbox.uq.edu.au
Project Budget
$711,802.00
Start Date
01/07/1995
Finish Date
30/06/1998
Extension Start Date
01/07/1998
Extension Finish Date
30/06/1999
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr Denis Hoffmann
Overview Objectives
This aim of this project is to optimise the use of a vaccine for duck plague in Vietnam. This requires data collection on the current strains of the virus in circulation. The present system of growing the vaccine in duck eggs needs updating. Establishment and testing of a vaccine seed will be required, making it possible to produce vaccine by a seedlot system. Optimal use of vaccine will involve responding to early recognition of outbreaks rather than routine vaccination of all ducks, and rapid diagnosis will be needed for this to be effective.
Project Background and Objectives
Ducks are an important commodity with numbers in east and south Asia estimated at some 460 million. Flocks are kept under both village (scavenging) and commercial conditions.
The duck population of southern Vietnam is some 30 million, with approximately 20 million in the Mekong Delta. Some 400 million duck eggs are produced in Vietnam each year, and commercial sales of duck meat totalled about 23,100 tonnes in 1990.
The most serious infectious disease is duck plague caused by a herpesvirus. Losses in excess of 90% from duck plague have been reported in unvaccinated flocks in Vietnam. The annual loss of ducks from infectious diseases is some 20%, with most deaths caused by duck plague.
Vaccination is used to reduce the losses. Currently, a vaccine is produced from a strain of virus imported from China and is administered intranasally at one day of age and by injection after 6 weeks.
Location
There are no project locations defined for this project.
