Enhanced production of antibody with specific antigen

On inoculation of nonspecific stimulator of immunity (NSI), prepared from Mycobacterium phlei (M. phlei), simultaneously along with sheep pox virus (SPV) in sheep, the recipient has exhibited appreciable level of SPV specific antibody as early as on 10th day which reached at peak level on 20th day and remained unaltered on 30th day of postimmunisation as evinced by serum neutralisation test (SNT), enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) indirect, fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) indirect, counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) and finally by virulent SPV challenge. On the contrary, sheep, when immunised with SPV only could not produce appreciable level of antibody on 10th day but did so on 20th day of inoculation. SPV and NSI immunised sheep produced enhanced protection against virulent SPV challenge in comparison with sheep immunised with SPV only. Healthy control sheep, however, could not resist challenge.