Abstract
Objective—To determine whether a combination viral vaccine containing modified-live bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) would protect calves from infection with a recent field isolate of BHV-1.
Design—Randomized controlled trial.
Animals—Sixty 4- to 6-month-old beef calves.
Procedure—Calves were inoculated with a placebo 42 and 20 days prior to challenge (group 1; n = 10) or with the combination vaccine 42 and 20 days prior to challenge (group 2; 10), 146 and 126 days prior to challenge (group 3; 10), 117 and 96 days prior to challenge (group 4; 10), 86 and 65 days prior to challenge (group 5; 10), or 126 days prior to challenge (group 6; 10). All calves were challenged with BHV-1 via aerosol. Clinical signs, immune responses, and nasal shedding of virus were monitored for 14 days after challenge.
Results—Vaccination elicited increases in BHV-1–specific IgG antibody titers. Challenge with BHV-1 resulted in mild respiratory tract disease in all groups, but vaccinated calves had less severe signs of clinical disease. Extent and duration of nasal BHV-1 shedding following challenge was significantly lower in vaccinated calves than in control calves. In calves that received 2 doses of the vaccine, the degree of protection varied with the interval between the last vaccination and challenge, as evidenced by increases in risk of clinical signs and extent and duration of viral shedding.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggest that this combination vaccine provided protection from infection with virulent BHV-1 and significantly reduced nasal shedding of the virus for at least 126 days after vaccination. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;227:123–128)
