VACCINES AGAINST HEMOPARASITIC DISEASES IN ISRAEL WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO QUALITY ASSURANCE

Four vaccines against hemoparasitic diseases (anaplasmosis, babesiosis and theileriosis) and a vaccine against besnoitiosis are currently us ed in Israel. These vaccines contain live attenuated parasites derived from cell culture (Theileria annulata and Besnoitia besnoiti) or from blood of infected, splenectomized cavlves (Babesia bigemina, B. bovis and Anaplasma centrale). Cryopreserved master seed is used to initiat e production of the vaccines. Quality control performed during the pre production period is particularly important with blood-derived vaccine s. Post production quality control comprises sterility, potency (viabi lity of immunizing organisms), safety (degree of attenuation) and effi cacy (capacity to protect against virulent parasite stock). All vaccin es are stored and dispatched to the field in a concentrated frozen sta te. The culture-derived vaccines are safe for all varieties of cattle, regardless of age or physiological condition, whereas the blood-deriv ed vaccines are recommended mainly for young cattle, the age limit var ying with the type of vaccine and breed of cattle. The viability of T. annulata infected cells in the anti-theilerial vaccine is tested afte r thawing by in vitro plating efficiency and the infectivity of blood- derived vaccines is tested by titration in susceptible cattle.