Passive immunity in calf rotavirus infections: maternal vaccination increases and prolongs immunoglobulin G1 antibody secretion in milk.
Ten heifers were inoculated on two occasions with an inactivated preparation of tissue culture-grown calf rotavirus, and a further ten heifers received a placebo vaccine. Serum anti-rotavirus antibody titers were significantly increased throughout pregnancy in the vaccinated group. After calving, the mean neutralizing antibody titer of colostral whey in control cows was 100, associated with immunoglobulins A and G1. No antibody was detected in the milk of these cows after the 4th day postpartum. The colostral whey from the vaccinated cows had a mean antibody titer of 20,452; 28 days after calving, the mean milk antibody titer was 320, associated mainly with immunoglobulin G1. Calves were challenged with a large oral inoculum of calf rotavirus at the 7th day of age. There was significant lengthening of the incubation and prepatent periods in calves born to vaccinated dams, but rotavirus-associated diarrhea of equal severity occurred in both groups. Evidence is presented which suggests that rotavirus antibody in milk can protect against a smaller challenge dose. Maternal immunization against rotavirus may be a practical proposition.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D002417:Cattle; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008892:Milk; D011247:Pregnancy; D012401:Rotavirus; D014611:Vaccination; D014612:Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014612:Vaccines