Composition and method for controlling intestinal pathogenic organisms

A multivalent antigen composition, comprising a suspension of dead or inactivated bacteria including:

• seven field strains of E. coli consisting of Deposit Nos. ______, ______, ______, ______, ______, ______, and ______, each field strain present in an approximately equal amount;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Deposit No. ______);
• Aerobacter aerogenes (Deposit No. ______);
• Salmonella enteritidis (Deposit No. ______);
• Salmonella typhimurium (Deposit No. ______);
• Salmonella agona (Deposit No. ______);
• and
• Salmonella Kentucky (Deposit No. ______),
• the multivalent antigen composition stimulating an immune response in an avian species inoculated with said multivalent antigen composition to at least one intestinal pathogenic organism selected from the group consisting of Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella species, Escherichia coli, and combinations thereof.

A bacterin vaccine, comprising:

• about 67% E. coli strains consisting of ATCC strain 25922 (Deposit No. ______), a University of Delaware field isolate (Deposit No. ______), and five Delmarva field isolates (Deposit Nos. ______, ______, ______, ______, and ______), each strain of E. coli present in an approximately equal amount;
• about 10% Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Deposit No. ______);
• about 10% Aerobacter aerogenes (Deposit No. ______);
• about 4% Salmonella enteritidis (Deposit No. ______);
• about 3% Salmonella typhimurium (Deposit No. ______);
• about 3% Salmonella agona (Deposit No. ______);
• and
• about 3% Salmonella Kentucky (Deposit No. ______),
• wherein the bacterin vaccine is prepared by:
• separately culturing each bacteria at temperature of 35±1° C. for a period of 24±2 hours;
• sampling and plating each culture onto individual Nutrient Agar plates;
• incubating the plated cultures for a period of 24±2 hours at a temperature of about 35±1° C.;
• counting bacterial colonies on the individual Nutrient Agar plates;
• proportionately mixing the individual bacteria cultures into an antigen composition based on the colony counts;
• and
• autoclaving the antigen composition at 121° C. for 15±2 minutes.

An in ovo vaccine, comprising:

• a bacterin vaccine including:
• E. coli strains consisting of ATCC strain 25922 (Deposit No. ______), a University of Delaware field isolate (Deposit No. ______), and five Delmarva field isolates (Deposit Nos. ______, ______, ______, ______, and ______), and wherein each strain of E. coli is present in substantially equal amounts,
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Deposit No. ______),
• Aerobacter aerogenes, (Deposit No. ______)
• Salmonella enteritidis (Deposit No. ______),
• Salmonella typhimurium (Deposit No. ______),
• Salmonella agona (Deposit No. ______), and
• Salmonella Kentucky (Deposit No. ______);
• and
• a Marek's disease vaccine,
• the in ovo vaccine reducing a concentration of at least one pathogenic organism selected from the group consisting of E. coli spp., Salmonella spp., or a combination thereof in a gastrointestinal tract of an avian species inoculated in ovo with said vaccine.