Vaccinations for Cattle, Sheep, and Goats

Five primary goals of vaccination programs:

1.) Prevent/reduce clinical disease

2.) Reduce disease severity and mortality

3.) Improve herd health and productivity

4.) Reduce economic losses

5.) Help animals develop immunity against pathogens

Vaccination does not necessarily prevent ______, but can improve an animal's ability to ______ ______ infection

Infection; cope with

Eight factors to consider when developing a farm-specific vaccination program:

1.) Animal type and age

2.) Geographic location/local disease prevalence

3.) Previous farm disease history

4.) Seasonal disease patterns

5.) Management practices

6.) Timing of stressful events

7.) Introduction of new animals

8.) Previous vaccination history

Vaccination is generally more effective when performed ______ anticipated stressors. Why?

before; vaccination itself can cause temporary inflammation and additional stress

Three major types of vaccines:

1.) Killed vaccines/toxoids

2.) Modified-live vaccines

3.) Chemically altered vaccines

Killed vaccine

Contains an inactivated pathogen that cannot replicate but can still stimulate an immune response

Toxoid

Contains an inactivated bacterial toxin that stimulates immunity against the toxin

Three advantages of killed vaccines/toxoids:

1.) Generally safe

2.) Cannot spread vaccine organisms

3.) Minimal abortion risk

Three disadvantages of killed vaccines/toxoids:

1.) Typically require two initial doses

2.) Slower development of immunity

3.) Often more expensive

Killed vaccines primarily stimulate ______ immunity

Antibody-mediated (humoral)

Modified-live vaccine (MLV)

Contains a live pathogen modified to reduce its ability to cause disease while retaining its ability to stimulate immunity

Three advantages of modified-live vaccines:

1.) Rapid development of immunity

2.) Strong immune response

3.) Often less expensive

Modified-live vaccines stimulate both ______ and ______ immunity

humoral; cell-mediated

Three disadvantages/considerations of modified-live vaccines:

1.) Potential abortion risk

2.) Require careful timing

3.) Require proper handling and mixing

Chemically altered vaccine

Contains a pathogen that has been chemically modified to reduce its ability to cause disease while maintaining immunogenicity

Twp advantages of chemically altered vaccines:

1.) Share many MLV advantages

2.) Have safety characteristics similar to killed vaccines

Disadvantage of chemically altered vaccines:

Usually require two doses

Which type of vaccine requires particular caution in pregnant animals? Why?

Modified-live vaccines; potential risk of abortion or reproductive complications

Which vaccine type generally produces rapid, strong immunity?

Modified-live vaccines

Which vaccine types generally require two doses for initial immunization?

Killed vaccines/toxoids and chemically altered vaccines

Passive immunity

Protection provided by antibodies received from another individual rather than produced by the recipient's own immune system

Maternal vaccination

Vaccinating the dam before parturition to stimulate antibody production and provide protection to her offspring through colostrum

Why is maternal vaccination particularly important in ruminants?

Newborns have immature immune responses and rely heavily on colostral antibodies for early protection

Six steps explaining how maternal vaccination protects newborn offspring:

1.) Dam is vaccinated

2.) Dam produces antibodies

3.) Antibodies accumulate in colostrum

4.) Newborn nurses and absorbs antibodies

5.) Passive immunity protects the newborn

6.) Newborn's own immune system continues developing

Colostral antibodies provide important protection for approximately ___-___ weeks after birth

3-4 weeks

Why is protection during the first month of life especially important?

Newborns have immature immune systems and are particularly susceptible to infectious disease

Three reasons immediate neonatal vaccination is not a reliable substitute for colostral immunity:

1.) Immature immune system

2.) Vaccination requires time to stimulate immunity

3.) Vaccination can cause additional inflammatory stress

Why might vaccinating a newborn immediately after birth fail to protect it from a pathogen-loaded environment?

The newborn may encounter pathogens before it has time to develop vaccine-induced immunity

Vaccination after approximately ______ ______ of age is generally safer than relying on immediate neonatal vaccination

one month

Maternal vaccination should occur sufficiently ______ parturition to allow an appropriate antibody response

before

Why should unnecessary vaccination immediately before parturition be avoided?

It may cause additional physiological stress in a heavily pregnant animal

The primary strategy for protecting newborn calves, lambs, kids, and crias is what?

vaccinating the dam before birth and ensuring colostral protection

Scours

Diarrhea in young livestock, including calves, lambs, kids, and crias

Calf scours is the leading cause of ______ and ______ during the first six months of life

Morbidity; mortality

Five potential consequences of calf scours

1.) Severe diarrhea/dehydration

2.) Poor growth

3.) Increased susceptibility to additional disease

4.) Death

5.) Economic losses

Three important pathogen targets for scours vaccination:

1.) Rotavirus

2.) Coronavirus

3.) Clostridium perfringens types C and D

Why vaccinate pregnant dams against scours?

To increase pathogen-specific antibodies in colostrum and reduce the severity of neonatal diarrhea

Scours vaccines often contain ______ of pathogens rather than targeting only one infectious agent

combinations of pathogens

Four steps explaining how environmental contamination can increase scours during calving season

1.) Infected animals shed pathogens

2.) Pathogens accumulate in barns/pastures

3.) Newborns encounter an increased pathogen load

4.) Disease frequency and severity increase

Why might scours become more common toward the end of calving season?

Pathogens progressively accumulate in the environment as more animals give birth

Scours prevention should combine vaccination with appropriate ______ _______ and ______

Environmental management; sanitation

Clostridial diseases

Diseases caused by Clostridium species, many of which are environmental pathogens capable of causing severe illness or sudden death

Why is preventive vaccination particularly important for clostridial diseases?

Many progress rapidly and may cause death before treatment can be effective

Three broad categories of clostridial disease:

1.) Histotoxic

2.) Neurotoxic

3.) Enteric

Histotoxic disease -->

Neurotoxic disease -->

Enteric disease -->

Histotoxic disease --> Disease involving tissue damage and destruction

Neurotoxic disease --> Disease caused by toxins that interfere with normal nervous system function

Enteric disease --> Disease involving the gastrointestinal tract

CD&T vaccine

A bacterin/toxoid vaccine targeting Clostridium perfringens types C and D and Clostridium tetani

Three pathogens targeted by CD&T vaccination:

1.) C. perfringens type C

2.) C. perfringens type D

3.) C. tetani

C. perfringens types C and D are important causes of ______ disease in young ruminants

Enteric

C. tetani is responsible for ______

Tetanus

Why vaccinate pregnant dams with CD&T before parturition?

to provide newborn offspring with protective colostral antibodies

Blackleg

A severe, frequently fatal clostridial disease caused by Clostridium chauvoei

Causative agent of blackleg

Clostridium chauvoei

An important clinical characteristic of blackleg is...

Sudden death in an animal that previously appeared healthy

Ex: receiving calls from producers who discovered several cattle dead in their pasture despite appearing normal the previous day

Why is proactive blackleg vaccination particularly important?

The disease can progress so rapidly that treatment may not be possible before death occurs

Autogenous vaccine

A vaccine manufactured using a pathogen isolated from a particular herd or farm

Which C. perfringens type is associated with autogenous vaccine development?

Type A

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC)

A multifactorial respiratory disease involving interactions between infectious pathogens and factors that compromise respiratory health

Two major infectious components involved in BRDC:

1.) Viral pathogens

2.) Bacterial pathogens

Four major viral agents targeted by common BRD vaccines:

1.) IBR

2.) BVD

3.) PI3

4.) BRSV

IBR →

BVD →

PI3 →

BRSV →

IBR → Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis

BVD → Bovine viral diarrhea

PI3 → Parainfluenza-3 virus

BRSV → Bovine respiratory syncytial virus

Three major bacterial pathogens associated with BRDC:

1.) Mannheimia haemolytica

2.) Pasteurella multocida

3.) Histophilus somni

Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni are Gram-______ bacteria

Negative

Why can Gram-negative bacteria worsen BRDC?

They contain endotoxin, which contributes to inflammation and disease severity

Five steps explaining the development of BRDC

1.) Viral infection disrupts respiratory function

2.) Respiratory defenses become compromised

3.) Bacteria colonize the lungs

4.) Bacterial infection/endotoxin increase inflammation

5.) Respiratory disease worsens

How do viral respiratory infections predispose cattle to secondary bacterial pneumonia?

They damage or disrupt normal respiratory defenses, allowing bacterial pathogens to colonize the lungs more easily

Many commercial BRD vaccines combine multiple ______ and ______ antigens into a single product

Viral; bacterial

Calf BRD vaccination should start at approximately ______ months of age, depending on herd protocol

3-6 months

Brucellosis

An infectious disease caused by Brucella species that can cause reproductive disease in livestock and can be transmitted to humans

Primary Brucella species in cattle

Brucella abortus

Brucellosis is an important ______ disease

Zoonotic!

Three major concerns associated with bovine brucellosis:

1.) Reproductive disease

2.) Zoonotic transmission

3.) Economic/public health consequences

What reproductive material is an important source of Brucella exposure?

Infected placental material

Development of ______ vaccines has contributed to improved brucellosis control

B. abortus

Brucellosis vaccination is subject to ______ regulations

government (rather than being entirely at the producer's discretion)

Brucellosis vaccination of heifers at begins at approximately ___-___ months of age, when indicated

4-12

Five major animal groups requiring individualized vaccination protocols:

1.) Adult cows/bulls

2.) Breeding animals

3.) Nursing calves

4.) Feeder/stocker calves

5.) Replacement heifers

Three main vaccine groups recommended for adult cows and bulls:

1.) IBR/BVD/PI3/BRSV

2.) Leptospirosis (5-way)

3.) Vibriosis

Five optional vaccine targets for adult cows and bulls:

1.) Trichomoniasis

2.) Pinkeye

3.) Blackleg 7-way

4.) Anthrax

5.) Anaplasmosis

Breeding animals should generally be vaccinated approximately ______ weeks before breeding

6-8 weeks

Four vaccine groups for breeding animals:

1.) IBR/BVD/PI3/BRSV

2.) Leptospirosis

3.) Vibriosis

4.) Trichomoniasis

Why vaccinate breeding animals before breeding?

To establish immunity before pregnancy and reduce unnecessary vaccination during sensitive reproductive periods

Four vaccine considerations for nursing calves:

1.) 7-way clostridial

2.) IBR/BVD/PI3/BRSV

3.) Brucellosis when recommended

4.) Leptospirosis for replacements when appropriate

Feeder/stocker calves

Young cattle raised for further growth or eventual finishing rather than currently serving as breeding animals

Four major vaccine groups for feeder/stocker calves:

1.) IBR/BVD/PI3/BRSV

2.) 7-way clostridial

3.) Mannheimia haemolytica

4.) Pasteurella multocida

Four factors to consider when developing feeder/stocker calf vaccination protocols:

1.) Previous vaccination history

2.) Age/management system

3.) Weaning/transportation

4.) Farm-specific disease risks

Vaccination should ideally be planned around ______ events rather than relying on a universal schedule

Management events

Five vaccines for replacement heifers before breeding:

1.) IBR/BVD/PI3/BRSV

2.) Vibriosis

3.) Leptospirosis

4.) Blackleg 7-way

5.) Verification of brucellosis vaccination status

Five important vaccine label claims:

1.) Prevention of infection

2.) Prevention of disease

3.) Aid in disease prevention

4.) Aid in disease control

5.) Safety

Prevention of infection

Demonstrated ability to prevent infection according to applicable licensing criteria

Prevention of disease

Demonstrated protection against clinical disease, without necessarily preventing infection

Aid in disease prevention

Vaccination helps reduce the occurrence of disease

Aid in disease control

Vaccination contributes to controlling disease rather than necessarily providing complete individual protection

Safety (vaccine label claim)

Indicates that a vaccine meets applicable safety requirements; does not automatically establish efficacy

Vaccine safety

Whether a vaccine causes unacceptable harm

Vaccine efficacy

Whether a vaccine provides its intended protection

A vaccine can be considered ______ without having demonstrated ______

Safe; efficacy

Conditional-use vaccine

A vaccine authorized under conditional requirements without necessarily having the same established efficacy profile as a fully licensed product

Three examples of newer/conditional vaccine platforms discussed:

1.) Tick vaccines

2.) Farm-specific vaccines

3.) Experimental vaccines for emerging pathogens

Why is understanding vaccine label claims important?

Different claims represent different levels of demonstrated protection and should not be treated as interchangeable

Why should vaccination generally be used proactively rather than as the primary response to an active outbreak?

Vaccination requires time to stimulate immunity and may not immediately protect animals already infected or exposed