Julio Vicente Figueroa Millán

Co-immunization of cattle with a vaccine against babesiosis and Lactobacillus casei increases specific IgG1 levels to Babesia bovis and B. bigemina

The effect of Lactobacillus casei administered along with a live attenuated vaccine vs. bovine babesiosis (VAC) on induction of IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies to Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina was assessed by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) in bovines of an endemic babesiosis area before (day 0) and after vaccination (days 15 and 30). We previously reported that L. casei increases the efficiency of VAC under controlled conditions and under extreme conditions in the field; however, the levels of IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies to B. bovis and B. bigemina are not known in vaccinated animals. Twenty-one dairy cows were allocated into three groups (seven animals per group): unvaccinated, vaccinated with VAC and vaccinated simultaneously with VAC and L. casei (VAC-LC). All animals were kept in a babesiosis endemic area at Tlalixcoyan, Veracruz. At days 15 and 30 after vaccination, the average levels of IgG1 to B. bovis and to B. bigemina were significantly higher in VAC-LC group than levels observed in VAC and control groups (P<0.01). Levels of IgG2 were similar in VAC and VAC-LC groups but higher than in the control group (P<0.01). When tested in in vitro cultures of B. bovis, sera from VAC-LC group significantly inhibited parasite growth as compared with the sera of the other two groups. It is suggested that the efficiency improvement of VAC, in part, is due to the L. casei boost of IgG1 over IgG2 antibodies to B. bovis and B. bigemina when the bacteria is co-inoculated with this vaccine.

In vitro effect of an immunostimulant bacteria on the morphology of bovine monocytes

To assess changes in cell morphology as sign of activation, peripheral blood monocytes from four adult cattle were obtained and cultured in vitro in the pres...

Protection against bovine babesiosis with a mixed in vitro culture-derived Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina vaccine under field challenge. Immunization in a disease-free area

IN MEXICO, THERE IS AN ATTENUATED LIVE VACCINE AGAINST BOVINE BABESIOSIS THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO CONFER PROTECTION TO SUSCEPTIBLE CATTLE IMMUNIZED AND CHALLENGED UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS. IMMUNIZED CATTLE SURVIVE A CHALLENGE USING KNOWN NUMBERS OF VIRULENT PARASITES OF BOTH BABESIA BOVIS AND BABESIA BIGEMINA. HOWEVER, STRESS-INDUCING FIELD SITUATIONS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION OR TICK-TRANSMITTED INFECTION HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE PROTECTIVE CAPACITY OF THE COMBINED VACCINE IN CATTLE IMMUNIZED IN A TICK-FREE AREA AND THEN TRANSPORTED TO AN ENDEMIC AREA. TEN, 18 MONTH OLD, SUSCEPTIBLE CHAROLAIS STEERS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: ONE GROUP WAS IMMUNIZED WITH 1 €” 107 ERYTHROCYTES INFECTED WITH IN VITRO CULTURE-DERIVED BABESIA BOVIS AND BABESIA BIGEMINA PARASITES; WHILE THE SECOND GROUP WAS IMMUNIZED WITH UNINFECTED BOVINE ERYTHROCYTES. TWO MONTHS LATER, BOTH GROUPS WERE TRANSFERRED TO A BOVINE BABESIOSIS ENDEMIC AREA AND ALLOCATED IN A CORRAL INFESTED WITH BABESIA-INFECTED BOOPHILUS MICROPLUS TICKS. ANIMALS REMAINED THERE FOR THE REST OF THE EXPERIMENT AND NEVER RECEIVED IXODICIDE TREATMENT. EIGHTEEN DAYS POST-ALLOCATION, ALL FIVE CONTROL ANIMALS PRESENTED WITH SEVERE CLINICAL SIGNS CHARACTERISTIC OF ACUTE BOVINE BABESIOSIS, INCLUDING A RECTAL TEMPERATURE (RT) GREATER THAN 40.5OC FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND A DECREASED PACKED CELL VOLUME (PCV) OF 48%. BOTH PROTOZOAN SPECIES WERE FOUND IN BLOOD SMEARS AND ALL ANIMALS IN THE CONTROL GROUP HAD TO BE TREATED IN ORDER TO AVOID THEIR DEMISE. THE IMMUNIZED CATTLE ALSO PRESENTED BOTH BABESIA SPECIES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD SAMPLES, INCREASED RT AND A 37% PCV REDUCTION, BUT REMAINED IN GOOD CORPORAL CONDITION AND DID NOT REQUIRE TREATMENT. THIS STUDY SHOWS THE PROTECTIVE CAPACITY CONFERRED TO CATTLE BY THE COMBINED VACCINE WHEN IMMUNIZED IN A BABESIA-FREE AREA AND THEN TRANSPORTED TO AN ENDEMIC AREA.