The effects of antigenic competition on the efficacy of multivalent footrot vaccines.

A multivalent footrot vaccine has been developed, containing pilus antigens produced in recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and representing all nine serogroups of Dichelobacter (Bacteroides) nodosus commonly recognised in the field. The responses of sheep to the multivalent vaccine have been compared with those to monovalent vaccines representing only a single serogroup. Antigenic competition between serogroups occurred in sheep immunised with the multivalent formation, but high levels of protection were still achieved. The study showed that in multivalent footrot vaccines, antigenic competition is predominantly due to the presence of a family of immunologically-related pilus antigens rather than to interference by extraneous proteins.