Immune protection in animals: the examples of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease.

Abstract

Fading immune protection in farmed animals may present a problem, particularly in free-ranging animals in nomadic and transhumant pastoral systems, where animals are not readily available for large-scale blanket vaccination programmes. Two veterinary examples of fading immune protection are discussed: rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Both are devastating viral diseases of cattle that have a huge impact on the farming economy. Both diseases can be controlled by vaccination, although the post-vaccination immunity afforded by the rinderpest vaccine is markedly different from that induced by FMD vaccines. These differences may in part explain the respective advancement of international eradication campaigns: while global eradication of rinderpest is imminent, FMD viruses are still actively circulating in many parts of the world.

• Authors: J Domenech, J Lubroth, K Sumption
• Journal: Journal of comparative pathology (J Comp Pathol) Vol. 142 Suppl 1 Pg. S120-4 (Jan 2010) ISSN: 1532-3129 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20105497 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Animals
• Cattle (immunology)
• Foot-and-Mouth Disease (immunology)
• Immunity, Herd (immunology)
• Rinderpest (immunology)
• Vaccination (veterinary)