Production and persistence of antibodies in chickens to sheep erythrocytes. 2. Resistance to infectious diseases.
A line of chickens selected for ability to product high antibody titers to sheep red blood cells exhibited stronger antibody to Newcastle disease, was more resistant to Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Eimeria necatrix, a splenomeglia virus, and feather mites and less resistant to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus infection than a line selected for a lack of ability to produce antibody titers. A line of chickens selected for a nonpersistance of antibody titers to sheep red blood cells was relatively more susceptible to all infectious agents tested than a line selected for a persistence of atibody titers.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology*