Effect of a quadrivalent vaccine against respiratory virus on the incidence of respiratory disease in weaned beef calves.
We investigated the effect of vaccination of male beef calves (mean age+/-S.D.: 158+/-31 days) against bovine herpes virus (BHV-1 or IBR virus), bovine respiratory syncitial virus (BRSV), bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus and para-influenza (PI(3)) virus on the incidence of respiratory disease during the first forty days after weaning and entering a feed-lot in Portugal. In May 2003, Mertolenga, Preta and mixed-breed calves from 10 different beef herds, were systematically assigned (by order of entrance in a chute) to two treatment groups, before moving to a common feed-lot. One hundred and twenty five male calves were vaccinated with a quadrivalent vaccine (Rispoval 4) and revaccinated after 21-27 days while 148 herdmates were injected with saline (0.9% NaCl) on the same occasions. The incidence and severity of clinical cases of "bovine respiratory disease" (BRD) were evaluated every day during the first 40 days after entering the feed-lot. Morbidity (3% vs. 14%) and mortality (0% vs. 4%) due to BRD were significantly lower in the vaccinated group. Ten days after revaccination, the calves were treated with an antimicrobial - ending the study - after an outbreak of BRD caused a high incidence of disease in the non-vaccinated group. In conclusion, our results showed that Rispoval 4, a quadrivalent vaccine against respiratory viruses, under field conditions, reduces morbidity and mortality due to BRD in beef calves after weaning.
Stilwell
George
G
Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Portugal. stilwell@fmv.utl.pt
Matos
Miguel
M
Carolino
Nuno
N
Lima
Miguel S
MS
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D001908:Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral / Q000276:immunology; D007242:Herpesvirus 1, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D029101:Parainfluenza Virus 3, Bovine / Q000276:immunology; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D018112:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Bovine / Q000276:immunology*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines