Acta Vet. Brno 2013, 82: 119-124
Protection of immunized mice and swine to challenge exposure with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strains obtained from recent swine erysipelas outbreaks in Japan
The aim of the study was to investigate the protective effect provided by immunization with commercial erysipelas vaccines in mice and conventional pigs to challenge with the field strains (serotype 1a) of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Sequence analysis of surface protective antigen (spaA) gene revealed that the strains were different from those reported previously. A total of 150 mice immunized subcutaneously with live or inactivated vaccines were protected against challenge exposure to one reference and four field strains. Seven conventional pigs immunized intramuscularly with inactivated vaccines developed specific antibodies against the SpaA protein of E. rhusiopathiae and were protected against challenge with two field strains. Our study is the first to demonstrate that the commercially available vaccines could protect animals against challenge with the most recently isolated SpaA-type strains of E. rhusiopathiae.
