Prophylactic use of hyperimmune serum in experimental colisepticaemia in calves.

Evidence is presented to demonstrate the efficacy of an intravenously administered polyvalent hyperimmune serum prepared from bovine serum, in the prevention of experimental colisepticaemia produced by oral challenge with E coli O78: K80(B) in colostrum deprived calves. It is suggested that the protection afforded by this hyperimmune serum is due to high levels of specific antibody demonstrable in the serum of calves post treatment and that protection is given in this instance by antibodies contained in the IgG class of immunoglobulins.