Prevention of fatal salmonellosis in neonatal calves, using orally administered chicken egg yolk Salmonella-specific antibodies.
OBJECTIVE
To protect neonatal calves against fatal salmonellosis within the first 2 weeks after birth, using chicken egg yolk antibodies specific against Salmonella typhimurium or S dublin.


METHODS
38 neonatal Holstein calves from Salmonella-free farms.


METHODS
After removal of the lipid components with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate, egg yolk antibodies were spray dried. At 4 days of age, calves were challenge exposed by oral inoculation with 10(11) virulent S typhimurium (experiment 1) or S dublin (experiment 2). Starting from the challenge-exposure day, egg yolk antibody preparations were administered orally 3 times a day for 7 to 10 days.


RESULTS
In passive immunization trials, the orally administered antibodies conferred dose-dependent protection against infection with each of the homologous strains of Salmonella. Within 7 to 10 days after challenge exposure, all control calves died, whereas low-titer antibody-treated calves had 60 to 100% mortality. Only fever and diarrhea, but no deaths (P < 0.01), were observed in calves given the highest titer of antibody.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with that in control calves, survival was significantly higher among calves given antibodies with titers of 500 (P < 0.05) and 1,000 (P < 0.01) homotypic for S typhimurium and with titer of 5,000 (P < 0.01) for S dublin. Egg yolk antibodies specific for whole cell S typhimurium or S dublin are protective against fatal salmonellosis when given in sufficiently high concentration, and may be clinically useful during a salmonellosis outbreak.
Yokoyama
H
H
Immunology Research Institute in Gifu, Sano, Gifu City, Japan.
Peralta
R C
RC
Umeda
K
K
Hashi
T
T
Icatlo
F C
FC
Kuroki
M
M
Ikemori
Y
Y
Kodama
Y
Y
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000276:immunology*; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000276:immunology*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial