Effectiveness of immunization with multicomponent vaccines in protection against hemorrhagic pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in mink.

The effectiveness of immunizing mink with a new multicomponent vaccine consisting of the common protective antigen (OEP) and toxoids of protease and elastase on experimental as well as epidemic hemorrhagic pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. This vaccine was compared with a single-component vaccine, consisting of OEP alone, for determination of its effectiveness in immunizing mink. The multicomponent vaccine was significantly more effective than the single-component vaccine. One vaccination with 100 micrograms each of OEP and toxoids of protease and elastase prevented an epidemic in mink of hemorrhagic pneumonia due to P. aeruginosa.