The Veterinary Record, Vol 117, Issue 16, 413-414
Copyright © 1985 by British Veterinary Association
Mitigation of the response of Friesian calves to live Babesia bovis vaccine by treatment with long acting oxytetracycline
E Pipano,
Y Krigel,
A Markovics,
E Rubinstein,
and
M Frank
Forty 11- to 13-month-old Friesian calves were inoculated with live Babesia bovis vaccine. Twenty of the calves were treated with long acting oxytetracycline seven and 15 days after receiving the vaccine. Parasites were detected in nine of the treated calves compared with all 20 of the untreated control group. Treated calves were less febrile and had higher packed cell volumes than control animals. All calves from both groups developed a considerable antibody titre to B bovis. It appears that long acting oxytetracycline can mitigate the response of sensitive cattle breeds to live antibabesial vaccine and prevent damage caused by excessive multiplication of B bovis parasites.
