Clinical and immunologic response of cattle to administration of a vaccine containing modified-live bovine respiratory syncytial virus

Healthy yearling beef and dairy cattle were inoculated with a vaccine containing modified-live bovine respiratory syncytial virus (ML-BRSV), and sequential changes in clinical signs of disease, blood leukocyte subsets, BRSV-specific antibody titer, and in vitro lymphocyte blastogenic responses were monitored. Vaccination with ML-BRSV did not cause pyrexia, local or systemic hypersensitivity reaction, or respiratory tract disease. Episodes of leukopenia, abnormalities in lymphocyte subsets, or depression of phytomitogen-induced blastogenic responses were not observed subsequent to vaccination. Exposure to ML-BRSV resulted in at least a 16-fold increase in serum neutralizing antibody titer, with no increase seen in nonvaccinated contact controls. Significant BRSV-specific lymphocyte blastogenic responses were not detected, using one dose of several BRSV antigen preparations in a whole blood culturing system.