EXPERIMENTS ON AN EARLY PROTECTION AGAINST FOOT-AND-MOUTH-DISEASE VIRUS

The influence of the peptide diacetylsplenopentin (SPS) on an early pr otection of guinea pigs against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was inves tigated. 80 % protection was achieved if SP5 was applied in a dose of 2 mg one day before challenge with FMD virus (FMDV) type O1 Lausanne s train. In comparison with this a conventional commercial adsorbate vac cine protected guinea pigs about 7 days after vaccination. An earlier protection can be obtained in general by vaccination with a higher con tent of the immunogen. A tenfold increase of the 146 S particle dose i n a conventional oil adjuvanted FMDV vaccine protected pigs about 2 da ys earlier as observed after inoculating a ,,normal'' vaccine (about 1 1 days).