Influence of medication on development of serum antibody to swine dysentery as detected with indirect fluorescent antibody method.

Serums from 119 swine exposed to swine dysentery inoculum, and medicated with various drugs, were tested for antibodies to the large spirochete, using the indirect fluorescent antibody test, and were compared in tests with known positive serums from 18 nonmedicated swine which had recovered naturally. An inverse relationship existed between the efficacy of the drug and the serum antibody titer (highest dilution of the serum producing immunofluorescence of large spirochetes). The more efficacious drugs or doses resulted in lesser development of serum antibody. Diarrhea usually seemed necessary for the development of serum antibody. With the less efficacious drugs, there were more days of diarrhea. Some swine had diarrhea but did not develop an antibody titer, and a few swine had a titer but did not develop diarrhea. Swine which developed a titer were more immune against reexposure with infective inoculum. The medicaments, especially those given at higher concentrations, seemed to resolve the diarrhea or prevent the development of diarrhea, occurrences which were necessary for the development of immunity.