Specificity in response of vaccinated swine and mice to challenge exposure with strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae of various serotypes.

Swine and mice were vaccinated with standard erysipelas adsorbate bacterins made from Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae of serotype 2 and were subsequently exposed to pathogenic strains of E rhusiopathiae, serotypes 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, and 11. Response to challenge of immunity in swine was determined by presence of urticarial lesions at the sites of intradermal injection of culture; response in mice was determined by the quantal (live-dead) method. After vaccination with standard bacterins, swine and mice were significantly more susceptible (P less than of equal to 0.01) to infection with strains of serotypes 9 and 10 than with strains of serotypes 1, 2, 4, or 11. An adsorbate bacterin made from the challenge strain of serotype 10 induced specific immunity to homologous challenge exposure in swine but not in mice. Bacterins made from the other challenge strains induced little or no immunity.