DEVELOPING A VACCINE AGAINST SPOTTY LIVER DISEASED CAUSED BY CAMPYLOBACTER HEPATICUS IN COMMERCIAL LAYER CHICKENS

Long-term goal. The overarching goal of the proposed study is to minimize the losses to the table egg industry due to Campylobacter hepaticus-associated Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) through vaccination.Supporting objectives. To achieve this goal, we have formulated the following three objectives:Identify immunogenic mimotopes of C. hepaticus as a vaccine candidate antigen using a phage display library and reverse vaccinology strategy.Assess the immunogenicity and efficacy of selected positive phage clones against a challenge of C. hepaticus.Construct and assess the immunogenicity and efficacy of an avian E. coli-vectoredvaccine expressing the selected immunogenic mimotope/s of C. hepaticus.