Multi-adhesin vaccines for the protection of the neonatal piglet against "E. coli" infections.

It has been shown that the initial stages of enteric infection with E. coli organisms involve attachment of the organism to the intestinal villi. Attachment is mediated by specific protein adhesins on the surface of the organism such as K88ab, K88ac, K99 and 987P (1). Purified preparations of each of these adhesins have been used for the vaccination of pregnant gilts and been shown to confer passive protection to their piglets against homologous but not heterologous challenge with E. coli (2, 3). In this study gilts have been vaccinated with multi-adhesin vaccines combining these components (K88, K99, 987P) and litters born to them were challenged together with litters of non-vaccinated gilts, with the appropriate E. coli strains. It was shown that vaccines confer substantial protection in terms of mortality, reduction in diarrhoea and excretion of the organisms.