Serum Antibody Responses to a Clostridium perfringens Epsilon Toxoid Vaccine in Goats

Abstract

Enterotoxaemia caused by Clostridium perfringens type D (pulpy kidney disease) is a common disease of sheep and goats.Commercial sheep enterotoxaemia vaccines consist of an epsilon toxoid adsorbed onto an adjuvant (usually aluminium hydroxide), and because no enterotoxaemia vaccines are specially manufactured for goats, these sheep vaccines are also generally used in that species. There are abundant references about immunity to enterotoxaemia in sheep and there is no doubt that sheep can be fully protected against this disease by vaccination. However, data on antibody titres and local reactions in goats after enterotoxaemia vaccination are scanty and contradictory. We present here a vaccination trial with a commercial vaccine in goats in order to measure their antibody responses and local reactions to different vaccination regimes.© 1999 Academic Press