Using Autogenous Vaccines to Help Mitigate Pinkeye & Other Disease Concerns

An autogenous vaccine is a vaccine created from cultures of microorganisms obtained from one farm that is used to immunize animals on the same farm to protect against the further spread of the same microorganisms. Veterinarians may choose to create an autogenous vaccine when specific strains of microorganisms have antigenic variations that differ from those in commercially-available vaccines leaving animals not fully protected against field challenges. Examples of diseases where an autogenous vaccine might be considered include pinkeye, mastitis, pneumonia, gastrointestinal diseases, and foot rot.

Creating autogenous vaccines starts with the submission of eye swabs, feces, milk, or tissue samples to a fully-functional diagnostic laboratory for bacterial isolation. From there, additional diagnostics such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) maybe be used to differentiate organisms and identify virulence factors. Dendrograms and soluble protein profiles are often used to help differentiate certain pinkeye pathogens and identify isolates that should be included in the vaccine. Once the decision has been made on which bacteria should be included in the vaccine, production is initiated. Vaccines are typically ready for release 4-6 weeks later.

What You Will Learn

• What are autogenous vaccines, and when would you want to create and use one?
• Who are Phibro Vaccines Omaha (PVO) and MVP Adjuvants^®?
• The process involved in creating an autogenous vaccine, including adjacent and non-adjacent use of autogenous vaccines.
• Dendrograms: What they are, how to read them, and how they help us create better performing autogenous vaccines.

Accreditation Available

• ARPAS: 1 Credit

Four years ago, Phibro Animal Health Corporation acquired MVP Laboratories, a company located in Omaha, Nebraska, that has been creating autogenous vaccines and adjuvants for nearly 40 years. After the acquisition, MVP Laboratories was renamed Phibro Vaccines Omaha (PVO). PVO is a customer-focused company made up of dedicated professionals who truly care about meeting the vaccine needs of veterinarians and their clientele.