USDA develops new Newcastle disease vaccine

U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists have developed a new vaccine against Newcastle disease in poultry.
The new vaccine was formulated using part of a virus that is similar to the wild-type Newcastle disease, and improves on the old vaccines by reducing the shedding of the virus from infected birds to healthy birds. In addition, the vaccine reduces mortality and severity of NDV symptoms in poultry.
The majority of other NDV vaccines used in the U.S. were formulated based on the version of the virus isolated in the 1940s, according to Agricultural Research Service microbiologist Qingzhong Yu. However, since then new strains have emerged that are genetically different, necessitating the formulation of a newer, more effective vaccine.