**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A STRUCTURAL-BASED VACCINE DESIGN WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TO CREATE A SINGLE VACCINE THAT PROTECTS AGAINST MAREK'S DISEASE (MD), NEWCASTLE DISEASE (ND) , AND INFECTIOUS LARYNGOTRACHEITIS (ILT). ALTHOUGH LIVE ATTENUATED VACCINES (LAVS) FOR HAVE CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE CONTROL OF THESE DISEASES OVER THE PAST HALF-CENTURY, SHORTCOMINGS IN THEIR ADMINISTRATION AND THEIR RECOMBINOGENIC NATURE GENERATING REVERTANTS HAVE CAUSED FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS FOR PRODUCERS. USING THE VACCINE STRAIN OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS AS A VECTOR, THE GENES ENCODING THE ANTIGENS OF MAREK'S DISEASE VIRUS AND INFECTIOUS LARYNGOTRACHEITIS VIRUSE WILL BE INSERTED INTO THE NDV GENOME. RECOMBINANTS NDVS EXPRESSING ANTIGENS OF MAREK'S DISEASE VIRUS AND INFECTIOUS LARYNGOTRACHEITIS VIRUSES WILL BE TESTED IN CHICKENS FOR SAFETY, GENETIC STABILITY, AND PROTECTIVE EFFICACY IN CHALLENGE MODELS. A TRIVALENT VACCINE CAPABLE OF PROTECTION AGAINST ALL THREE DISEASES WILL BE FORMULATED. THE TRIVALENT VACCINE WILLBENEFIT PRODUCERS IN MANY WAYS: NON-RECOMBINOGENIC, INCAPABLE OF REVERTING TO VIRULENCE UNLIKE THE CURRENT ILT LAVS; STABLE AT TEMPERATURES > -80OC, THEREBY REDUCING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT LIQUID NITROGEN-REQUIRING MD VACCINES; AND LASTLY, AMENABLE TO EN MASS DELIVERY USING ROBOTIC IN OVO INJECTORS AT THE HATCHERY.

Agricultural Research Service

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