Effect of diminazene block treatment on live redwater vaccine reactions

One third of the manufacturer's prescribed dose of diminazene has long been used to block treat the South African unfrozen Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis (redwater) vaccine reactions, with no known adverse effects. It is known that the inhibitory effect of antibabesial drugs is more pronounced in animals inoculated with the frozen vaccine than those with the unfrozen vaccine. Reports of vaccine failures in some animals in which diminazene was used for block treatment of the reactions following inoculation with frozen South African redwater vaccine led us to reinvestigate the required waiting period before treatment and the reduced dose necessary for successful treatment and development of immunity. Results from febrile reactions in cattle following vaccination indicated day 7 as the optimal day for administering block treatment. Treatment of B. bigemina vaccine reactions in cattle on day 7 at a level of 0.35 mg/kg (1/10, fraction of the normal dose) diminazene killed all the parasites while B. bovis vaccine parasites survived treatment using diminazene at levels between 0.35 mg/kg and 1.16 mg/kg. However, various other factors, such as the degree of natural resistance of different cattle breeds and individual animals, the accuracy of diminazene content according to the manufacturer's label claim and the accuracy of the drug dose administered, all influence the successful immunization of animals. Consequently block treating of Babesia vaccines with diminazene on day 7 after vaccination is not recommended.