1124 AJVR, Vol 72, No. 8, August 2011 C lostridial vaccines are effective in preventing seri- ous and typically fatal diseases that result from ex- posure of domestic ruminants to toxins produced by Clostridium sordellii, Clostridium chauvoei, Clostridium perfringens, and other pathogens of this genus. 1–4 Be- Humoral immunity and injection-site reactions in cattle vaccinated with a multivalent clostridial vaccine administered via subcutaneous injection or via transdermal needle-free injection Amelia R. Woolums, DVM, PhD; Douglas T. Ensley, DVM, MS; Patrick A. Tanner, MS, DVM; Rebecca Fankhauser, DVM; Jing Shen, PhD; J. Glenn Songer, PhD; A. Timothy Leard, DVM, PhD; Francis W. Milward, DVM, MS; Mel E. Pence, DVM, MS; David J. Hurley, PhD Objective—To evaluate injection-site reactions and serum antibody titers in cattle vacci- nated with a clostridial vaccine administered SC or via needle-free transdermal injection. Animals—Sixteen 11- to 12-month-old Herefords. Procedures—Cattle in 2 groups were vaccinated on days 0 and 28 with a commercially available multivalent clostridial vaccine administered SC or transdermally. Injection sites and serum antibody titers were evaluated at several time points after vaccination. Serum antibody titers against Clostridium perfringens beta toxin, Clostridium novyi alpha toxin, and Clostridium septicum alpha toxin were determined with an ELISA; Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin titers were determined with a toxin neutralization assay. Results—Firm injection site swellings developed in cattle vaccinated via either route; how- ever, at several observation times, swellings were significantly smaller in cattle vaccinated transdermally. Serum titers against C perfringens beta toxin and C septicum alpha toxin did not differ significantly between groups after vaccination; serum titers against C novyi alpha toxin were not significantly different between groups, except on days 10 and 56, when they were significantly higher in cattle vaccinated SC. Titers against C sordellii lethal toxin were significantly higher in cattle vaccinated SC on several days after vaccination, but titers were not significantly different after day 49. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Transdermal vaccination of cattle resulted in serum antibody titers that were similar to those induced via SC vaccination and caused injection- site reactions that were significantly smaller. Transdermal vaccination may be an effective technique for vaccinating cattle against clostridial diseases while minimizing local reactions that often develop after clostridial vaccination. (Am J Vet Res 2011;72:1124–1129) cause of their efficacy, these vaccines are in widespread use; however, they can cause a marked inflammatory response that causes pain-inducing and unsightly reactions at the site of injection. 5–7 Additionally, injec- tion-site reactions are a cause of financial loss when persistent lesions must be trimmed from carcasses. 8 Moreover, the systemic inflammatory response that fol- lows clostridial vaccination can be associated with de- creased feed consumption in vaccinated cattle, which may impact animal growth and productivity. 5,9 Thus, the development of clostridial vaccine formulations or methods of administration that minimize local and systemic inflammatory responses but still induce an ef- fective immune response could reduce the impact of clos- tridial vaccination on animal well-being and productivity. One method of vaccine administration that could minimize injection-site reactions associated with clos- Received December 20, 2009. Accepted August 4, 2010. From the Departments of Large Animal Medicine (Woolums) and Population Health (Ensley, Pence, Hurley), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602; Research and Development, Merial, 115 Transtech Dr, Athens, GA 30601 (Tan- ner, Fankhauser, Shen, Leard); and the Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (Songer). Dr. Ensley’s present address is Cattle Professional Services, Boehringer Ingel- heim Vetmedica Incorporated, 2621 N Belt Hwy, St Joseph, MO 64506. Dr. Tanner’s present address is USA Companion Animal Marketing, Merial, 115 Transtech Dr, Athens, GA 30601. Supported by Merial and the University of Georgia College of Vet- erinary Medicine Food Animal Health Management Program (FAHMP). The authors thank Mark Chastain for technical assistance. Address correspondence to Dr. Woolums (awoolums@uga.edu). ABBREVIATION TD Transdermal Unauthenticated | Downloaded 08/27/22 10:54 AM UTC