Immunity in pigeons against homologous and heterologous serotypes of Streptococcus bovis after infection.
Groups of 20, 20 and 10 pigeons were intravenously inoculated with 1 x 10(9) CFU of a Streptococcus bovis serotype 1, 2 and 3 strain, respectively. Groups which received the highly virulent serotypes 1 or 2 strains were treated with antibiotics starting from 2 days post inoculation in order to prevent the development of clinical signs. Pigeons inoculated with the low virulence S. bovis serotype 3 strain were left untreated. Another group of 10 non-inoculated pigeons was used as challenge control. Four weeks later, pigeons were challenged intravenously with S. bovis serotype 1. Morbidity after challenge infection was 19%, 36% and 70% in groups previously inoculated with serotypes 1, 2 and 3, respectively, whereas it was 100% in the control group. Results demonstrate that pigeons developed significant protective immunity to S. bovis serotype 1 septicaemia following infection with S. bovis serotype 1 and 2 strains but not after infection with the serotype 3 strain. Protection did not correlate with the presence of antibodies as detected in ELISA.
De Herdt
P
P
Laboratory of Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology, University of Gent, Belgium.
Haesebrouck
F
F
Devriese
L A
LA
Ducatelle
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001717:Birds; D007109:Immunity; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016985:Streptococcus bovis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial