Immune response of pigs to parenteral vaccination with an aromatic-dependent mutant of Salmonella typhimurium.

Cellular and humoral immune responses to parenteral vaccination with an aromatic-defined (aroA) Salmonella typhimurium and to oral challenge with the S. typhimurium parent strain were examined in pigs. The effectiveness of aroA S. typhimurium vaccination for prevention of clinical disease following challenge was also evaluated. A split litter model was utilized and analysis of variance was by least squares. The statistical model accounted for the effects of vaccination and litter. Parenteral vaccination of pigs with the aroA mutant induced a significant O-polysaccharide (O-ps) specific lymphocyte blastogenic response as well as a significant antibody response to O-ps, lipopolysaccharide and killed bacteria. The aroA strain was avirulent in pigs, was not shed in the feces and significantly reduced the severity of diarrhea following oral challenge.