Abdelwahid Saeed Ali, Isam Mohd Ali Eljalii

The potential of pseudorabies virus (PrV) clone (mA1p) as an immunizing agent against Aujeszky's disease (AD) in swine was investigated in this study. The pathogenicity, immunogenicity and protective efficiency induced by the virus were the major focus of the study. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure antibody responses to the virus. The virus was proved non-pathogenic for piglets up to the dose 108 plaque forming unit (p.f.u.). The antibody titres to the virus were correlated with the immunization dose. The difference in the antibody levels for the doses 106 and 107 p.f.u. was non-significant (p<0.01), but between the dose 107 and 108, was significant (p<0.05). Following challenge of immunized animals with the virulent PrV-CD strain, total protection of piglets was observed even at the immunizing dose 106 p.f.u. In conclusion, PrV-mA1p was non-pathogenic, highly immunogenic and protective against virulent PrV challenge in piglets, hence suggested as an efficacious and safe vaccine candidate against the disease.

Key words: Pseudorabies, cloned virus, protection.

Volume 56 (No4 p. 307-310) / 2005