Short Term Effect of E. Coli Bacterin-Toxiod Vaccine on Milk Production

J. M. B. Musser and K. L. Anderson
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Objective

The purpose was to determine if immunization with an E. coli Bacterin-Toxoid J-5 Mutant in lactating cattle produced a significant change in milk production compared to saline control.

Method and Materials

A commercially available Bacterin-Toxoid (J5-VAC™, Sanofi Animal Health, Inc) was used according to labeled directions. Lactating cows (Holsteins n=42 and Jerseys n=42) on a single dairy were used in this study. Control and treated animals were paired by breed, parity, number of days in milk, and daily milk weight at one week prior to immunization. No change in management or routine of the cows was necessary. Cows were milked twice daily and milk weights were recorded at each milking 5 days prior to and through 6 days following injections.
The cows in the treated group were vaccinated intramuscularly with 2.0 ml of the bacterin-toxoid in the right semimembranosus or semitendinosus. Control animals were injected with 2.0 ml intramuscularly of sterile saline at the same site. The injections occurred approximately 3 hours prior to afternoon milking.

Results

There were no statistical differences for the two milkings prior to immunization. Milk weights were not statistically different for the first milking following the injections with mean milk weights 28.5 lbs and 29.8 lbs for treated and control, respectively. Treated animals produced significantly less as compared to controls in the second (p=0.03) and third (p=0.002) milkings following the injections, treated 34.0 lbs, control 35.4 lbs and vaccinated 25.7lbs, control 27.5 lbs, respectively. No difference was found for any of the subsequent milkings.

Conclusion

Vaccination with an E. coli Bacterin-Toxoid produced a significant but short-term decrease in milk production.

National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting Proceedings (1995)