EFFECT OF MONTANIDE ADJUVANTED Staphylococcus aureus BACTERIN-TOXIOD ON PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF MASTITIS IN COWS

The current study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and incidence of mastitis associated with Montanide adjuvanted Staphylococcus aureus bacterin toxiod in dairy cows in Faisalabad (Punjab, Pakistan). A total of 60 mastitis free dairy cows, in first and second month of lactation, were selected on the basis of results determined by California mastitis test and Surf field mastitis test. The animals were randomly divided into three groups (C1, C2, and C3) each containing twenty cows. The vaccine was administered twice with four weeks interval at the rate of 5 ml intramuscularly in the neck region in all the animals of group C1 and C2. Levamisole HCl (Nilverm®, ICI, Pakistan) @ 2.5 mg per kg weight was given orally to animals of group C2 after first and second injections of vaccine, while the animals in group C3 were kept as control (non-vaccinated and nonmedicated with levamisole HCl). Prevalence and incidence rates were determined at 1st, 30th, 60th, 120th and 180th days post-vaccination. The results showed that maximum numbers of quarters were found positive in group C3 with maximum cumulative prevalence (27.5%) while minimum (11.25%) was recorded in group C2 followed by vaccinated group (13.75 %). There was no significant variation in cumulative incidence between the vaccinated and vaccinated plus levamisole HCl group.