Abstract
Objective—To determine the immunogenicity of a Moraxella bovis cytolysin-enriched vaccine for prevention of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK).
Animals—104 mixed-breed beef calves ranging between 4 and 8 months of age.
Procedure—Vaccines were prepared by the diafiltration of broth culture supernatant from hemolytic M bovisor or sterile media. The diafiltered retentate was combined with Quil A adjuvant. Calves were randomly assigned to receive either the cytolysin vaccine (n = 35) or, as controls, adjuvant (35) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (34). Eyes of all calves were examined weekly for signs of IBK for 15 weeks. Calves that developed severe IBK were treated SC with florfenicol.
Results—Cytolysin vaccine contained 4 proteins with molecular masses ranging between 65 and 90 kd. Cytolysin-vaccinated calves had fewer instances of IBK than control calves. The time of onset of corneal lesions in cytolysin-vaccinated calves that developed IBK was delayed, compared with that of calves in either control group. The cytolysin-Quil A vaccine contained endotoxin, but calves did not have clinical signs of illness after vaccination.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Calves that were vaccinated with a cytolysin-enriched vaccine had some resistance to IBK. Vaccines containing concentrated diafiltered M bovis cytolysin could protect beef calves against IBK. (Am J Vet Res 2005;66:136–142)
