The Effects of Increasing Sodium Chloride Concentration on Mycoplasma gallisepticum Vaccine Survival in Solution

Lyophilized Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) vaccines are generally rehydrated and diluted with distilled or chlorine-free water as per manufacturer recommendations. However, as mycoplasma species lack a cell wall, this can lead to decreased viability of live vaccine during administration. The ability of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to prevent losses in live vaccine viability was examined. It was shown that a concentration of 1 X PBS prevented the two-fourfold decrease in MG viability seen when the vaccines were diluted with water alone.