[Potency Testing of Erysipelas Vaccines in Mice. ELISA vs. Challenge]

Vaccines are widely used for the prophylaxis of swine erysipelas. According to national pharmacopoiea requirements, potency of these biologicals has to be tested in a mouse challenge model. Many animals are needed and the test causes much suffering. The development of an enzyme linked immunosorbet assay (ELISA) using an alkaline extract of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae as antigen for coating the microtitre plate allows us to measure antibody titres in the serum of vaccinated mice. By comparing the antibody titres of vaccinated mice with the results of the animal challenge model it could be demonstrated that the in vitro method gives reliable and reproducible data which correlate with the results of the in vivo model. The ELISA offers the possibility to refine the currently used animal test, by replacing the challenge procedure and reducing the number of animals.