Effect of passively-acquired antibodies and vaccination on the immune response to contagious ecthyma virus

Lambs which received colostrum from ewes vaccinated with contagious ecthyma (CE) virus and other lambs vaccinated with CE virus were compared for serum anti-CE immunoglobulin (Ig)G levels, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to CE viral antigen, and protective immunity to challenge with CE virus. Ewes vaccinated 3-4 weeks prior to parturition transferred CE antibody to lambs via colostrum. Although these lambs had higher levels of antibody at challenge than lambs vaccinated when 1-4 days old, only the vaccinated lambs were protected against challenge with CE virus at 1 month of age. Furthermore, the presence of colostrum-derived maternal antibody prevented an active antibody response in lambs to vaccination and/or challenge with CE virus, except where pre-inoculation titres were low. In contrast, the DTH response to CE viral antigen and induction of protective immunity by CE vaccination were not impaired by passively-acquired antibody. Actively immunised lambs could be distinguished from those only receiving passively-acquired antibody by the DTH response to heat-killed CE viral antigen.