Antibacterial activity of antisera against homologous and heterologous Escherichia coli of porcine origin.

Fourteen enteropathogenic and five nonenterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from pigs were used for producing antisera in rabbits and pigs. These antisera were used in an vitro test system for antibacterial activity against homologous and heterologous porcine E. coli strains. Antibacterial titres were determined against the homologous strains and the percent reduction in CFU/ml caused by a 1/200 dilution of the sera against heterologous strains was determined. The results indicated that following immunization the antibacterial activity of serum against homologous and heterologous strains was significantly increased. This activity did not appear to be influenced by O and K antigen relationships among the organisms or by enterotoxigenicity of the vaccine strains. When antiserum produced against a combination of three enteropathogenic E. coli was tested against 20 strains a wider spectrum of heterologous antibacterial activity was obtained than with antiserum produced against any individual strain. The results indicate the existence in E. coli strains of porcine origin of common antigenic determinants not related to the serological formula and that a selected combination of strains can be expected to induce antibacterial acitivity against a wide variety of serological types of porcine enteropathogenic E. coli.