Protection of cattle against rinderpest by intranasal immunisation with a dry powder tissue culture vaccine.

Dry powder tissue culture rinderpest vaccine containing 10(2.5) TCID(50) of virus per dose administered intranasally to cattle induced high titre circulating antibody responses and protection against challenge with a virulent strain of rinderpest virus. A reduction in the dose of virus to 10(1.1) TCID(50) resulted in a failure to elicit detectable antibody responses and a lack of protection. Intranasal powder vaccine offers several advantages over conventional needle-administered aqueous rinderpest vaccine, including greater stability in the absence of a cold chain, reduced risk of 'needle transfer' of other microbial agents present in the vaccinated herd and lower cost.