Clinical application of interferons in large animal medicine.
Interferons are efficacious therapeutic agents for treatment of several clinically important diseases in cattle and horses. In some instances, the therapeutic goal of IFN administration is prevention or clinical cure of acute viral infections. On the other hand, IFN may serve as adjunctive treatment to diminish clinical manifestations of disease and improve the quality of life. Oral administration of IFN alpha appears to be a safe and convenient route of administration, and the therapeutic benefit likely develops via unique mechanisms involving oropharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissue for dissemination and amplification of the pharmacologic response. At the time of this writing, IFN has not been approved by the USDA or the FDA for use in food-producing animals or horses.
Moore
B R
BR
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-5606, USA.
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*
D007372:Interferons