National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Topics in Animal Health Research 2009

29. The duration of maternal immunity to Akabane virus is different for different types of cattle and among regions

Japanese

 To prevent encephalomyelitis caused by Akabane virus, as observed in 2006, vaccination of calves is one of the most effective prophylactic measures. In order to estimate the age of the maternal antibody decay in calves and to identify factors that affect the duration of passive immunity, we conducted a survival analysis using data from the nationwide sentinel surveillance of Akabane disease. Our results indicated that the maternal antibodies are present for a longer time in beef calves than in dairy calves. Calves in the western part of Japan and on Kyushu Island maintained the maternal antibodies for a longer time than those in the eastern part of Japan.
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