Agglutinin Response of Rabbits to Combined Pasteurella tularensis-Brucella abortus Vaccination 1

Abstract

A schedule was developed for the simultaneous production of a Pasteurella tularensis-Brucella abortus antiserum in rabbits. Three doses of 101 viable P. tularensis LVS organisms were given intravenously at weekly intervals. One day prior to the final dose of P. tularensis, the rabbits received 109 viable cells of B. abortus strain 19 intravenously. The use of live vaccines, administered in this sequence, resulted in high agglutinin titers within 3 weeks. The maximal agglutinin titer to either organism was observed 1 week after the final injection. A single antiserum capable of reacting with more than one bacterium could facilitate serological testing and studies by serving as a screening reagent. A procedure was developed for the production of anti-Pasteurella tularensis antisera in rabbits by using the attenuated vaccine strain LVS (4). The purpose of the present study was to determine the feasibility of producing a bivalent antiserum by combined vaccination of rabbits with viable Brucella abortus strain 19 and P. tularensis LVS. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals. New Zealand white rabbits weighing between 1.8 and 2.5 kg were used. Except where noted, all experimental groups contained five animals. Vaccines. The production and administration of viable tularemia vaccine have been reported (4). Desiccated B. abortus strain 19 vaccine was obtained