Comparison of the Development of Antibodies Against the A and B2 Toxins after Vaccination of Sows with a Clostridium Perfringens Type A Toxoid Vaccine

There are two registered vaccines available (Clostriporc A, Enteroporc A, IDT Biologika GmbH) to prevent suckling piglet diarrhea caused by Clostridium perfringens type A (CpA). These are based on the α- and β2-toxoids. The goal of this study was to evaluate the development of antibodies against the α- and β2-toxins after recurrent vaccination of gilts with ENTEROPORC A under laboratory conditions.

The gilts were vaccinated i.m. twice (5 and 2 weeks) before the first parturition and once two weeks before the second parturition. A control group was vaccinated at the same points in time with a saline solution. Sera were taken from the sows before the first (B0), second (B1) and third (B3) vaccination as well as sera and colostrum at the first (B2) and second parturition (B4). These samples were analyzed for antibodies against the α-toxin (ELISA, Lecithovitellin-neutralization test) and β2- toxin (ELISA). Additionally, suckling piglets from the first litter of the vaccinated sows and the control sows were inoculated i.p. with a sterile filtered supernatant of a heterologous CpA strain.

All twofold and threefold vaccinated sows showed a significant (Mann Whitney U test, one tailed, p< 0.05) increase of antibodies against the α- and β2-toxins in the serum at parturition (B2 and B4) and in the colostrum. Piglets from sows vaccinated twice were protected during the toxin challenge. The third vaccination resulted in comparison with the second vaccination in a further significant increase (p < 0.05) of antibodies against α- and β2-toxins in serum (figure 1 and 3) and colostrum (figure 2 and 4).

The results show that the third vaccination resulted in a further significant increase of antibodies in the colostrum compared to the basic vaccination. These results are especially interesting when considering the problem of providing colostrum to an increasing number of piglets born to hyperprolific sows. Further studies have to show whether a double vaccination of gilts before insemination and a third vaccination before the first parturition have the same effect.

Disclosure of Interest: J. Finzel Conflict with: IDT Biologika, G. Hagemann Conflict with: IDT Biologika, V. Florian Conflict with: IDT Biologika, V. Gotter Conflict with: IDT Biologika, S. Springer Conflict with: IDT Biologika.