Pathophysiological and immune cell responses in calves prior to and following lung challenge with formalin-killed Pasteurella multocida biotype A:3 and protection studies involving subsequent homologous live challenge

Pneumonic pasteurellosis is a common respiratory infection in cattle that has major economic and welfare implications world-wide and the incidence in the UK due to Pasteurella multocida, currently the same as that associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, is increasing. Whereas much is known regarding the pathogenesis of M. haemolytica infections little information is available on the pathogenic process of pasteurellosis initiated by P. multocida. In the present work calf systemic and innate immune responses to intratracheal challenge with formalin-killed P. multocida biotype A:3 and to subsequent experimental lung infection with live P. multocida were investigated. Eight-week-old calves were challenged intratracheally on day 0 with either 10⁹ colony forming units (cfu) of formalin-killed P. multocida biotype A:3 in 300 ml saline (n=10) or 300 ml saline alone (n=10), followed, at day 21, by challenge with 10⁹ cfu live P. multocida. Pathophysiological and lung phagocyte responses were assessed by clinical monitoring, sequential lung lavage and blood sampling. Results for samples obtained before, during and after challenge showed clinical and acute phase protein responses to both bacterial culture and saline control treatments, although higher responses were associated with bacterial challenge. Phagocytosis of P. multocida during 1 h incubation periods with lavaged cells in vitro was unaffected by exposure in vivo to killed P. multocida and there was evidence that P. multocida was able to survive intracellularly during this assay. There was no indication that lung exposure to formalin-killed P. multocida conferred protection against subsequent homologous live challenge.