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Effects of Vaccinations with Strain 19 Brucella abortus, Triple Bacterin, or Endotoxins on Serum Alkaline Phosphatase in Dairy Calves¹

Department of Dairy Science and School of Veterinary Medicine University of Georgia, Athens

ABSTRACT

Routine vaccination of dairy heifers for brucellosis, with Strain 19 Brucella abortus, and with triple bacterin for blackleg, malignant edema, and pasteurellosis (shipping fever) is followed by a very large depression in serum alkaline phosphatase activity (SAP). This was serendipitously observed in another experiment and subsequently verified in controlled experiments. The reduction in phosphatase activity was not accompanied by important reductions in feed intake. Phosphatase activity levels were depressed from two to eight days after vaccination and probably to a lesser degree after 11 days. Additional experiments indicated that Strain 19 brucella vaccine from different manufacturers had a comparable effect on depressing phosphatase, but that the diluent for the brucella vaccine and the triple bacterin did not have an important influence. Phosphatase activity in bull calves was affected comparably to that in heifers. Endotoxins in amounts comparable to those in the Strain 19 brucella caused a significant reduction in SAP in one experiment, but not in another. There were considerably different levels of phosphatase activity in calves of comparable age, size, and condition in different herds, and also of individual animals within herds. Within treatments, there were large positive correlations between SAP levels for the same animals in samples obtained prior to vaccination and several days later.

¹ Journal Series Paper no. 196, University of Georgia College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, College Station, Athens, and Institute of Comparative Medicine Paper no. 695, supported in part by PHS Research Grant no. AM-07367-NTN from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases.