Individual bovine-specific and species-specific autogenous vaccine in treatment of bovine cutaneous papillomatosis

Abstract

Bovine cutaneous papillomatosis, a viral infection, causes benign growth from the dermis. Conventional treatment involves vaccination using a species-specific autogenous vaccine. Bovine-specific autogenous vaccines were prepared from a single calf on each of 2 farms. Naturally infected calves on each farm were inoculated intradermally with their respective vaccine in 2 doses of 0.5 ml at 2 sites on the shoulder on days 0, 15, 30 and 60. Results were monitored for 4 months. On one farm vaccination resulted in rapid regression of the large and confluent papillomas on all of 12 affected calves by the end of the 4th month; 4 calves showed complete regression after 2.5 months. On the other farm, of 11 calves treated, complete regression occured in only the calf from which the vaccine was prepared (2 months after vaccination). The 10 remaining calves were vaccinated with individual autogenous preparations prepared from each animal. Rapid regression occured in all 10 calves within 2-4 months after inoculation.It is suggested that this is due to the presence of antigenic variants immunologically distinct from the parent virus, thus requiring the need to use wart samples from each individual affected calf to prepare the individual bovine-specific autogenous vaccine. It is further concluded that these field variants will greatly complicate the treatment and the management of this disease due to the enormous work involved in the production of individual bovine-specific autogenous vaccine.