EFFICACY OF A CAPSULE PREPARATION AND ULTRAVIOLET-KILLED PASTEURELLA-HAEMOLYTICA A1 VACCINE IN GOATS

Weanling male Spanish goats (n=38) were randomly allotted to six treat ment groups. Eight goats were positive controls; six goats were negati ve controls; six were given 2 transthoracic injections into the lung 2 1 d apart with 54 mg of purified Ph1 capsular polysaccharide (CPS) in agar beads; six had ultraviolet-killed Ph1 (1.4X10(9) CFU/ml) mixed wi th agar beads (Ph1-O); six had ultraviolet-killed Phl (8X10(9) CFU/ml) impregnated inside agar beads (Ph1-I); and six goats were given 2 sub cutaneous injections 21 d apart with ultraviolet-killed Ph1 (8X10(9) C FU/ml) impregnated into agar beads (Ph1-I-SC). Thirteen d after the se cond injection all goats were challenge exposed to live Ph1 (1.93X10(8 ) CFU/ml) by transthoracic injection into the right lung, and 4 d late r all goats were euthanatized and necropsied. Mean volume of consolida ted lung tissue was: for the negative control group, 150.83 cm(3); CPS group, 113.98 cm(3); positive control group, 0.06 cm(3); Ph1-O group, 11.68 cm(3); Ph1-I group, 11.24 cm(3); and Ph1-I-SC group, 33.47 cm(3 ). There was a significant difference (P<0.04) in lesion size among tr eatment groups. Mean values for treatment groups, positive control, Ph 1-O, and Ph1-I were clustered together and all were considered immune. The Ph1-I-SC group was considered partially immune, and the NC and CP S groups were considered non-immune. All of the negative control goats died on d 35, five of the capsular group died by d 36. The transthora cicly injected, ultraviolet-irradiated whole cell bacterin, whether ou tside or inside the beads, was considered an excellent bacterin which induced solid immunity to a severe challenge exposure.