Efficacy of dart or booster vaccination with strain RB51 in protecting bison against experimental Brucella abortus challenge.

This study characterized the efficacy of the Brucella abortus strain RB51 vaccine in bison when delivered by single intramuscular vaccination (hand RB51), by single pneumatic dart delivery (dart RB51), or as two vaccinations approximately 13 months apart (booster RB51) in comparison to control bison. All bison were challenged intraconjunctivally in midgestation with 10(7) CFU of B. abortus strain 2308 (S2308). Bison were necropsied and sampled within 72 h of abortion or delivery of a live calf. Compared to nonvaccinated bison, bison in the booster RB51 treatment had a reduced (P < 0.05) incidence of abortion, uterine infection, or infection in maternal tissues other than the mammary gland at necropsy. Bison in single-vaccination treatment groups (hand RB51 and dart RB51) did not differ (P > 0.05) from the control group in the incidence of abortion or recovery of S2308 from uterine, mammary, fetal, or maternal tissues at necropsy. Compared to nonvaccinated animals, all RB51 vaccination groups had reduced (P < 0.05) mean colonization or incidence of infection in at least 2 of 4 target tissues, with the booster RB51 group having reduced (P < 0.05) colonization and incidence of infection in all target tissues. Our data suggest that booster vaccination of bison with RB51 enhances protective immunity against Brucella challenge compared to single vaccination with RB51 by hand or by pneumatic dart. Our study also suggests that an initial vaccination of calves followed by booster vaccination as yearlings should be an effective strategy for brucellosis control in bison.