PREPARATION AND COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT ADJUVANTED TOXOID VACCINES AGAINST ENTEROTOXAEMIA

The objective of this study was to prepare and evaluate toxoid vaccines against enterotoxaemia in goats. Pure culture of Clostridium perfringens type D was used, already isolated and characterized by Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. Epsilon toxin was extracted; the extracted toxin was subjected to LD50 determination and then with the help of formalin inactivation was done. The resulting toxoids were adjuvanted with two adjuvants including Montanide ISA 206 and Aluminium hydroxide gel (Alum). The pathogenicity and immunogenicity of prepared toxoid vaccines and commercial vaccine procured from VRI, Lahore, Pakistan were studied and compared initially in an experimental trial on rabbits and then in field trials on goat. Field trial was conducted on 72 goats divided into four equal groups (n=18). The Indirect Haemagglutination Test (IHA) was used to evaluate the antibody titer and challenge protection test was performed in rabbits. The results showed that antibody titers were significantly higher (P 0.05) for in group vaccinated with Montanide ISA-206 adjuvanted toxoid vaccine. The geometric mean titer of Montanide group was 203.19, 456 and 670 at 14, 21 and 28 days post vaccination as compared to 181.02, 298.63 and 456.14 of Alum group on same days. Montanide vaccinated group also exhibited highest protection percentage (100%) post challenge as compared to 85.71%, 71.42% and 14.29% of group B, C and D, respectively.