A cell culture vaccine against bovine ephemeral fever

A vaccine was prepared from cell culture fluids harvested from the twelfth passage of the 919 strain of bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) virus in Vero cell cultures. Cattle were vaccinated subcutaneously with various combinations of strain 919 virus and adjuvants. Neutralising antibodies were assayed at various times after vaccination and some cattle were challenged by intravenous inoculation with the virulent 417WBC strain of BEF virus. Strain 919 virus of the third and twelfth passage levels in Vero cells produced neither fever, clinical illness nor detectable viraemia in 5 calves inoculated intravenously. Nor could viraemia be detected in 5 heifers receiving vaccine subcutaneously. When the vaccine was administered mixed with aluminium hydroxide adjuvant, the production of neutralising antibodies increased with an increase in the volume of vaccine from 2.5 ml to 10 ml and the response to 2 injections was significantly better than the response to a single injection. The neutralising antibody response was decreased when vaccine was diluted in phosphate buffered saline. The neutralising antibody response following 2 subcutaneous vaccinations with strain 919 virus mixed with aluminium hydroxide adjuvant was higher than that following intravenous inoculation with virulent virus. The vaccine-induced antibodies persisted for at least 12 months, and revaccination at this time led to an increase in the titre of neutralising antibody. Antibodies induced by a single subcutaneous administration of strain 919 virus mixed with Freund's complete adjuvant persisted for at least 40 weeks; those induced by vaccine containing Freund's incomplete adjuvant had virtually disappeared within 16 weeks. All these calves responded to vaccination with aluminium hydroxide-containing vaccine with increases in levels of neutralising antibodies. Of 26 vaccinated calves challenged with virulent BEF virus, 24 remained clinically normal. Two developed brief periods of pyrexia on the seventh day after challenge, but no other clinical signs. One of these calves had a viraemia that was demonstrated only by intravenous inoculation of a susceptible calf. The remaining calf had no detectable viraemia. All of 7 unvaccinated calves developed severe clinical BEF within 5 days of challenge. No disease attributable to the 919 virus occurred in 24 vaccinated pregnant heifers or their newborn calves.