Antibody Production in Milk Serum After Virus Instillation of Goat Mammary Gland VI. “Sham Infection” with Special Reference to Rabies

The ERA strain of rabies vaccine virus failed to propagate or cause clinical manifestations when instilled into the mammary gland of lactating goats. However, the virus did produce neutralizing antibodies in this gland as a result of repetitive viral stimulation, a “sham infection”. The protective property of the concentrated and partly purified milk serum antibody was assessed in mice. In the first trial, protective activity was observed when a single dose of milk serum antibody was administered at intervals up to three days after exposure to virulent rabies virus. In the second trial, using a more concentrated milk serum antibody, about half of the mice were protected when the milk serum was administered up to ten days after exposure to virulent virus.