ANTIBODY RESPONSE IN SOWS FOLLOWING INTRAMAMMARY OR INTRAMUSCULAR IMMUNIZATION WITH A KILLED ESCHERICHIA COLI VACCINE

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Abstract
Pregnant sows were immunized either intramuscularly or intramammarily with a killed E. coli vaccine. Samples of blood and mammary secretion were assayed for antibody to E. coli cells and E. coli enterotoxin. The association of each class of immunoglobulin with antibody to the bacterial cells was also estimated. It was found that immunization by either method increased direct agglutination titres and antiglobulin enhancement titres in serum and mammary secretion. There were no major differences in these parameters between the two groups of sows. In serum and mammary secretion from both groups of sows IgC was quantitatively the most important class of immunoglobulin associated with antibody to E. coli cells. Immunization had the effect of increasing the percentage of IgG and IgM associated with antibody in blood serum from about 5% to about 20% . In contrast, the percentage of IgA in serum with antibody activity against E. coli was around 20% prior to immunization and did not alter significantly after immunization. Samples of blood and mammary secretion from sows immunized intramammarily were more effective in neutralizing E. coli enterotoxin than corresponding samples from sows immunized intramuscularly; the biological significance of this finding is at present uncertain.

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