Prevention of necrotic enteritis in piglets by vaccination of pregnant gilts with a Clostridium perfringens type C and D bacterin-toxoid
Kelnerić, Z.; Naglić, T.; Udovicić, I.
Veterinarni Medicina 41(11): 335-338
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0375-8427 PMID: 9036619 Document Number: 455461
On a large pig farm with a history of necrotic enteritis 12 pregnant gilts were vaccinated s.c. 7 and 2 weeks before expected farrowing with a Croatian commercial bacterin-toxoid preparation of toxigenic C. perfringens type C and D strains (Dizevak, Pliva). At farrowing the titres of beta -antitoxins in serum samples from vaccinated gilts ranged from 9.0 to 26.0 IU/ml. Colostral titres varied from 12.0 IU/ml with a mean of 14.16 IU/ml. On the second day of life the mean serum titres between litters ranged from 4.75 to 24.0 IU/ml. By 7 days of age the average serum titres were generally lower and varied between litters from 2.25 to 15.0 IU/ml, with a minimum of 1.5 and a maximum of 16.0 IU/ml in single animals; 10 (8.47%) of 118 piglets from vaccinated gilts died during the first 7 days of life, but the losses were not caused by C. perfringens infection. In unvaccinated control animals, 18 (15.9%) of 113 piglets died, 11 of these with clinical and pathological signs of necrotic enteritis. The affected piglets generally died in the first 4 days of life.