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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #268460
Title: Environmental and management factors influencing BVDV antibody levels and response to vaccination in weanling calves

Author
item DOWNEY, E - Iowa State University
item Ridpath, Julia
item TAIT JR, R - Iowa State University
item GARRICK, D - Iowa State University
item REECY, J - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2011
Publication Date: 6/1/2011
Citation: Downey, E.D., Ridpath, J.F., Tait Jr, R.G., Garrick, D.J., Reecy, J.M. 2011. Environmental and management factors influencing BVDV antibody levels and response to vaccination in weanling calves. In: Proceedings of the Beef Improvement Federation Meeting, June 1-4, 2011, Bozeman, Montana. p. 32.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Vaccination has many benefits for disease prevention and overall health status of animals. Not all animals respond equally to vaccinations. A number of factors can be shown to influence a young animal’s response to vaccination. Calves with more maternal antibodies at the time of vaccination have poorer immune response. The level of maternal antibodies at the time of vaccination is influenced by the amount of passive immunity transfer obtained via colostrum in the first 24 hours and the subsequent loss of maternal antibodies over the period up until vaccination. Younger dams appear to supply fewer passive antibodies to their calves and these maternal antibodies from younger dams appear to degrade at a faster rate than those from older dams. The level of response achieved in vaccinated calves varies by calving season. Vaccination during periods of high stress, such as weaning, has shown negative impacts on response. Further, calf age impacted the ability of a calf to mount an antibody response. Calves needed to be at least 130 days of age to elicit a positive response to vaccination. Collectively, these data suggest ranchers may be able to improve the value of vaccination by avoiding this activity at weaning and by consideration of the age of the dams, and the age of the calves at vaccination.