title: Composition and evaluation of the efficacy of Staphylococcus aureus vaccine.
abstract: An alum-precipitated Staphylococcus aureus vaccine, composed of a formalin-inactivated whole culture of a strain which produces Smith surface antigen and combined with the whole culture of a highly toxigenic strain, was found to afford a good immunity to staphylococcal skin infection in rabbits. Three injections of the vaccine provided immunity which lasted for at least 6 months against a primarily pyogenic strain of S. aureus and for at least 3 months against a toxigenic strain. From experiments using vaccines prepared from cells or toxoid only, it was deduced that, although there is a measure of strain specific immunity, a good heterologous immunity can be established with a combined product provided that it contains adequate quantities of toxoid. The use of such a vaccine as a potential aid in the control of bovine staphylococcal mastitis is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits; D013045:Species Specificity; D013209:Staphylococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014121:Toxoids / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D013209:Staphylococcal Vaccines; D014121:Toxoids