Immunisation of pigs with killed cultures of Streptococcus suis type 2

Ten intravenous inoculations of 10(10) formalin-killed pathogenic Streptococcus suis type 2 stimulated detectable levels of opsonic antibody and a strong protective response against intravenous challenge with 10(9) viable S suis type 2 of the same strain. Heat-killed organisms did not stimulate a protective response, even though the type-specific antigen was intact and opsonic antibodies were induced. When the number of formalin-killed organisms in the inoculum was increased 10-fold, one inoculation was insufficient to stimulate a protective response, but two inoculations protected pigs against intravenous challenge with live, pathogenic organisms. Four-hour and overnight cultures were equally immunogenic, and the response was not enhanced by either Freund's incomplete adjuvant or aluminium hydroxide gel adjuvant.