Vaccination studies against experimental bovine Pasteurella pneumonia

Vaccination-challenge experiments were conducted in colostrum-deprived calves to evaluate the efficacy of Pasteurella bacterins and vaccines against experimental pneumonic pasteurellosis. Calves were vaccinated with formalin-killed bacterins and live vaccines, then challenge exposed intratracheally with P. haemolytica or P. multocida. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus was inoculated intranasally three to four days prior to P. haemolytica challenge-exposure. All calves were examined for macroscopic and microscopic lesions after being found dead or following euthanasia four to seven days after challenge exposure with the bacterial pathogen. Clinical, hematological, and pathological responses to challenge exposure in aluminum hydroxide absorbed P. haemolytica and P. multocida bacterin-treated calves were consistent with the pneumonic lesions of pulmonary pasteurellosis in the control calves. An oil-adjuvanted P. haemolytica bacterin limited clinical and pathological responses in the affected calves whereas a P. multocida oil-adjuvanted bacterin did not. Both clinical and pathological responses to challenge exposure in calves vaccinated with live Pasteurella vaccines were less severe than those of the control calves. Vaccine effectiveness appeared to be dose dependent.