EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS OF LIVE ATTENUATED AND INACTIVATED STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS VACCINES IN RABBITS

A. SHAKOOR, M. ATHAR, G. MUHAMMAD, S. U. RAHMAN¹, A. A. BUTT², I. HUSSAIN ² AND R. AHMAD³ 

Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, ¹Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, ²Livestock and Dairy Development, Punjab and
³Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadernagar, Okara, Pakistan

Abstract

    This study was conducted as a preliminary step on the rabbits for comparative efficacy of different vaccines of Staphylococcus aureus. Typical alpha-beta Staph. aureus species from a clinically affected mastitic buffalo was isolated. After proper identification based on cultural and morphological characteristics and API-Staph Trac system, a selected Staph. aureus isolate was used to prepare four different  mastitis vaccines (Bacterin, oil-adjuvanted, dextran sulphate adjuvanted and live attenuated) after confirmation for pathogenicity and antigenicity, followed by its safety and sterility evaluation. Vaccines were tried in 25 rabbits divided into 5 equal groups. A separate vaccine was administered s/c @ 0.2 ml per animal and boosted at 15 days later. It was found that IHA antibody titers were higher (GMT 32-128) in live attenuated, dextran sulphate adjuvanted (GMT 32-128) and oil-adjuvanted (GMT 16-64) than the bacterin treated (GMT 16-32) group. All the vaccines showed an apparent immune response than the unvaccinated control group.

Key words: Staph. aureus vaccines, antibody titer, rabbits.