Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada), announced the launch of INNOVAX-ND-IBD, the first live vaccine in the United States, made with biotechnology that protects against three highly infectious diseases in poultry – Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) and Marek’s disease (MD). The vaccine provides protection for ND, IBD and MD simultaneously when given to chickens either in ovo or subcutaneously in the hatchery.
Currently, there are no treatment options available in the United States to combat these highly contagious infections which affect a range of systems, including the nervous, respiratory, immune and reproductive systems of many species of domestic and wild birds.[i],[ii],[iii] If an outbreak hits a flock, the impact on the birds’ welfare and productivity is significant.