Evaluation of vaccine against escherichia coli mastitis in dairy cattle

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to evaluate the immune response of dairy cows to inactivated E.

coli oil adjuvant vaccine.

E.

coli was isolated from cases of clinical and subclinical mastitis and characterized on the basis of morphological, cultural, biochemical and serological tests.

Cows were vaccinated with the prepared vaccine at 8 weeks before parturition and received booster dose three weeks later.

Control cows were not immunized.

Serum samples were subjected to ELISA technique to detect anti-E.

coli IgG titers.

The results revealed that the antibody titers were higher at calving for vaccinated cows than for unvaccinated controls.

The prevalence of E.

coli in quarters milk samples taken after calving and the incidence of mastitis were lower significantly among the vaccinated group in comparison with unvaccinated controls.

These results suggest that the locally prepared E.

coli vaccine elicits a non-specific health improvement of the udder in addition to specific protection against udder infection with E.

coli.