Campylobacter N-glycan presenting Salmonella Typhimurium: a new vaccine for broiler chickens?

Abstract

Campylobacteriosis is an emerging foodborne enteric disease in humans worldwide. Poultry meat is an important source of infection. One strategy in the combat against Campylobacter at production level is the vaccination of broiler chickens. In this study, a Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) strain was modified and used as a vector to express the N-glycan from Campylobacter on its surface. The immunogenicity of this live vaccine was tested per os in 70 commercial broilers. The vaccine was able to colonize broilers without causing disease. No detectable humoral immune response and no reduction of colonization of C. jejuni in the caeca was observed due to vaccination, however the chickens produced antibodies against the Campylobacter N-glycan upon infection with the Campylobacter jejuni challenge strain.