The antibody response against beta and epsilon toxins of Clostridium perfringens was evaluated in cattle vaccinated with six commercial clostridial vaccines. Groups of six calves (6-7 months old) were vaccinated with each vaccine (T2 to T7), on days 0 and 42, with the recommended dose and route. Saline solution (T1) and a standard toxoid vaccine (T8) were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. On days 0, 42 and 56 post-vaccination (PV), blood samples were collected for antibody titration. Vaccines, as well as controls, were also injected into 8 rabbits each, on days 0 and 21, using half of the dose recommended for cattle. Rabbits were bled on day 35. Rabbit sera were tested as a pool per vaccine and cattle sera were tested individually against beta and epsilon toxins, by the serum neutralization test in mice. The vaccine T2 had antibody titers of 22.6 and 5.6 IU/ml and T4 had 11.2 and 7.0 IU/ml against beta and epsilon toxins in rabbits, respectively. The standard toxoid had a titer of 45.2 IU/ml against both toxins. In cattle, mean antibody titers against beta toxin on days 42 and 56 PV induced by T2 (1.15 and 8.0 IU/ml) were similar to those induced by the standard toxoid (2.02 and 10.3 IU/ml). T4 titers (0.73 and 4.54 IU/ml), were lower (P<0.05) than those obtained with the standard toxoid, but similar to T2 titers. On day 42, the standard toxoid had a mean titer (0.97 IU/ml) against epsilon toxin significantly higher (P<0.05) than that obtained with T4 (0.15 IU/ml) but similar to T2 mean titer (0.42 IU/ml). On day 56, T2 resulted in a significantly higher titer (4.27 IU/ml) (P<0.05) than that induced by T4 (0.68 IU/ml), but similar to the standard control (4.98 IU/ml). The other vaccines, as well as the saline solution, did not elicit antibody responses, neither in rabbits nor in cattle. T2 induced antibody titers against C. perfringens beta and epsilon toxins similar to those induced by the standard toxoid and higher than those induced by T4.
Cattle; rabbit; clostridiosis; clostridial vaccine; Clostridium perfringens; antitoxin
