INVESTIGATIONS IN THE HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESP ONSE IN PUPPIES AFTER FIRSTIMMUNIZATION WITH DIFFERENT COMBINATION VACCINES .4. COMPONENT AGAINST LEPTOSPIROSIS

Five combined vaccines were tested in 63 puppies for induction of a hu moral immune response against the included serovars of L. interrogans. The first vaccination was performed at the age of 9-11 weeks, the sec ond vaccination at the age of 13-14 weeks. The serological examination s for the evaluation of the humoral immune response were performed at the time of the first vaccination, the second vaccination and four wee ks after the second vaccination. The test used was the microscopic agg lutination microtitertest. Titers of 1:50 and higher were scored as po sitive. Out of 13 puppies vaccinated with Enduracell 7(R), 10 showed n o praevaccinal antibodies against all tested serovars. In the other 3 puppies no praevaccinal antibody determination could be performed. At the final evaluation one animal showed a titer against L. icterohaemor rhagiae. 13 puppies vaccinated with Vetamun(R) did not show praevaccin al antibodies. At the final evaluation 5 animals had antibodies agains t L. grippotyphosa, 6 animals against L. australis ballico and 3 anima ls against L. icterohaemorrhagiae. 13 puppies vaccinated with Dohyvac Galaxy + L(R) did not have any antibodies throughout the study. One of the 12 puppies vaccinated with Canlan DPAL(R) had praevaccinal antibo dies against L. australis ballico. At the final evaluation 2 animals s howed antibodies against L. icterohaemorrhagiae and 4 animals against L. canicola. 12 puppies vaccinated with Canimed SH + LT(R) did not hav e praevaccinal antibodies. Al the final evaluation 4 animals showed an tibodies against L. canicola, of which also 2 animals developed antibo dies against L. icterohaemorrhagiae. The results and possible causes o f the limited immune responses are discussed.