Mouse potency assay for Bordetella bronchiseptica bacterins.

A potency assay for Bordetella bronchiseptica bacterins has been developed using mice. The immunogenicities of three bacterins, B, C, and D, were evaluated for ability to prevent death in mice as compared with a reference standard bacterin (RSB-A). Bacterins RSB-A, B, and C were evaluated for ability to prevent death in mice as compared with a reference standard bacterin (RSB-A). Bacterins RSB-A, B, and C were evaluated in swine for efficacy against nasal turbinate atrophy. Swine immunized with RSB-A demonstrated 25% gross nasal turbinate atrophy (GNTA), whereas nonimmunized swine had 85% GNTA. Swine vaccinated with bacterins B and C demonstrated 0 and 100% GNTA, respectively, whereas the nonimmunized groups had 64 and 75% GNTA, respectively. RSB-A and bacterins B, C, and D provided average mouse survivals of 94, 88, 49, and 32%, respectively when the mice were given 1/10,000 of a recommended swine-immunizing dose, whereas an average of 88% of the unvaccinated mice died.