title: A randomized clinical trial evaluating a farm-of-origin autogenous Moraxella bovis vaccine to control infectious bovine keratoconjunctivis (pinkeye) in beef cattle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A randomized, masked, 2-arm parallel trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of a Moraxella bovis (M. bovis) autogenous vaccine to prevent naturally occurring infectious bovine keratoconjunctivis (IBK) in beef calves.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The null hypothesis was that treatment group was not associated with either risk of IBK or last observed weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  The trial was conducted between May and November 2009 and 2010 on a university-owned farm in Iowa. The vaccine contained 2 randomly selected M. bovis from IBK cases that occurred at the farm in 2008. Calves born between January and May 2009 and 2010 without visible corneal lesions were randomly allocated to receive vaccine (n = 191) or placebo (n = 178).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two s.c. doses were administered 21-28 days apart. Allocation to treatment was concealed using bottles marked A or B. Staff observing the animals for IBK could not determine the treatment grouping. The herd met the "at-risk" criteria (ie, >15% IBK in unvaccinated calves and M. bovis detection in IBK cases). Analysis was "per-protocol".
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk of IBK was 58/185 (31%) in vaccinated calves and 66/173 (38%) in unvaccinated calves (adjusted risk ratio = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.49-1.24). Average weight before sale did not differ between the vaccinated calves (196.6 kg, SD ± 39.9) and unvaccinated calves (198.1 kg, SD ± 42.7) (P value = .19). No adverse effects were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination of the study results with previous studies suggests that autogenous M. bovis vaccines often are ineffective in controlling naturally occurring IBK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Diagnostics and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA 50011, USA. oconnor@iastate.edu
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brace
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dewell
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Engelken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007639:Keratoconjunctivitis, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016955:Moraxella bovis
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines