Antibody response to the epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens following vaccination of Lama glama crias.
BACKGROUND
Enterotoxaemia produced by Clostridium perfringens A, C and D is an important cause of mortality in young llamas. There is no data on antibody responses following vaccination with epsilon toxin.


METHODS
Twenty-six L. glama crias were divided into four groups which were vaccinated with a commercial vaccine (Mancha Gangrena Enterotoxemia, Instituto Rosembusch Sociedad Anónima, Argentina) on days 0, 21 and 42 or left as unvaccinated controls. An indirect ELISA was compared with the mouse neutralization test (MNT) for measuring titers to C. perfringens type D epsilon toxin and used to determine titers in sera taken before vaccination and 16, 28, 49, 59, and 93 days later.


RESULTS
The ELISA gave comparable results to the MNT and showed animals vaccinated once failed to develop raised titers. A week following a second vaccination, mean antibody titers rose significantly (P < 0.05) and 7/12 animals developed high titers which were present in only one animal at the end of the study (day 93). A third vaccination resulted in a decrease in mean antibody titers a week later.


CONCLUSIONS
Llamas develop antibodies to Clostridium perfringens type D epsilon toxin after two vaccinations at a 21-day interval. Further studies are indicated to determine if these inoculations protect against enterotoxemia and the most appropriate vaccination schedule.
Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. aben@fvet.uba.ar
Adriana B
AB
Bentancor
Pablo
P
Halperin
Myriam
M
Flores
Fabián
F
Iribarren
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000276:immunology*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000276:immunology*; D004767:Enterotoxemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; C039811:Clostridium perfringens epsilon-toxin; D007074:Immunoglobulin G