Low Dosage of Interferon to Enhance Vaccine Efficiency in Feedlot Calves

Abstract

Interferons have generally been named in terms of the species of animal cells producing the substance (e.g., human, murine, or bovine), the type of cell involved (e.g., leukocyte, lymphoblastoid, fibroblast) and, occasionally, the type of inducing material responsible for interferon production (e.g., virus, immune). The clinical agent of choice in this research has been human leukocyte interferon, "mass-produced" by procedures involving collection and purification of vast quantities of human huffy coat leukocytes, induction with virus, and isolation from culture media. One infectious disease which has not been well controlled, by interferon or other means, is bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD). The IBR, BVD, and PI-3 viruses are 3 of the infectious agents that are most commonly isolated by veterinary diagnostic laboratories in cases of BRDC. This report documents the enhancement of the vaccination response to the viruses with concurrent use of interferon.