Antibody response in bovine pharyngeal fluid following foot-and-mouth disease vaccination and, or, exposure to live virus.

Samples of pharyngeal fluid and serum were collected from cattle after exposure to live foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus (with or without prior vaccination) or after subcutaneous vaccination with inactivated virus. The pharyngeal fluid samples were examined for FMD neutralising activity and specific anti-FMD IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. The neutralising activity of the serum was also monitored. A peak of neutralising activity which occurred in the pharyngeal fluid of unvaccinated cattle seven days after virus exposure corresponded to a rise in specific IgM and IgA antibodies. This peak appeared to be due to serum and tissue fluid escaping from the damaged mucosa during the acute inflammatory phase of infection. At later stages (20 to 60 days after virus exposure) the pharyngeal fluid neutralising activity corresponded to a rise in specific IgA antibodies, suggesting that active local antibody production was taking place. The pharyngeal fluid neutralising activity detected after revaccination with oil emulsion or aqueous vaccines, without exposure to live virus, corresponded to a rise in specific IgG and IgM antibody levels and this may have been due to serum transudation.