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FOR MORE than a quarter of a 

 century Dr. I. F. Huddleson, 

 Michigan State College veteri- 

 narian and bacteriologist, has 

 been tracking down a pre- 

 ventive for brucellosis (Bang's dis- 

 ease)' in cattle. Today he believes he 

 is ne^r his goal. 



Five years ago he started work on a 

 new vaccine. Dr. Huddleson calls it 

 "M" vaccine. It is produced from a 

 mucoid growth phase of the brucellosis 

 germ. 



It is this vaccine that may control 

 brucellosis in cattle which alone costs 

 Illinois farmers about |8 million annu- 

 ally. 



With the guarded caution of a scien- 

 tist, Dr. Huddleson says he thinks the 

 "M" vaccine "has some promise judging 

 from experiments thus far." Associates 

 say he would stop its experimental use 

 immediately if he' detected any serious 

 shortcomings. 



Huddleson refused to make any predic- 

 tions on its widespread use. "We don't 

 know definitely just what it can do until 

 we have had more time to consider the 

 results of wider experimentation." 



Use of vaccine M at present is limited 

 mainly to dairy herds in the state of 

 Michigan and is considered only in the 

 experimental stage. Several states are 

 conducting their own experiments with 

 M vaccine in Maryland, Virginia, West 

 Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and 

 Ohio under permit of the U. S. Bureau of 

 Animal Industry. 



The vaccine now in general use for the 

 prevention of brucellosis in cattle is 

 called "Strain 19." The search for a bet- 

 ter vaccine has continued because Strain 

 19 has several objectionable features. 

 Criticisms made are: 1. An animal vac- 

 cinated against brucellosis gives a pos- 

 itive reaction in its blood test which is the 

 same as though it had the disease; 2. It 

 does not give lifetime immunity; 3. It 

 can cause the disease (undulant fever) in 

 man; and 4. Some farmers and veter- 



wm K 



This New 



Bang's Disease Vaccine? 



inarians suspect that the vaccine itself 

 can cause the disease in the animal vac- 

 cinated. 



The first objection is overcome by the 

 fact that an animal vaccinated with M 

 vaccine does not give a positive or dis- 

 eased blood test reaction after 90 days 

 or less as a result of the vaccination. 



The other objections to Strain 19 vac- 

 cine listed above have not been raised 

 against M vaccine as a result of experi- 

 ments to date. 



M vaccine is now being used in more 

 than 1,800 herds in Michigan under 

 the direction of the state veterinarian. Dr. 

 C. F. Clark. In 1947, 5,399 animals 

 were vaccinated with M vaccine in Mich- 

 igan, according to Dr. Clark. During the 

 first six months of 1948 more than 20,- 

 000 animals were vaccinated. About 

 half that many were vaccinated with 

 Strain 19 in the first six months of 1948. 



Dr. Huddleson made it clear that M 

 vaccine, like other vaccines, is a preven- 

 tive and has little if any curative value 

 once the disease has taken hold. 



Use of the M vaccine during the past 

 three years on cattle in private herds has 

 limited the spread of the disease to four 

 per cent of the susceptible animals. 



The great value of the new vaccine is 

 seen in the possibility of preventing the 

 Spread of the disease in animals of re- 

 cently infected herds. By doing so, it 

 will become possible to eliminate in- 

 fected animals, immunize the remainder. 



and not only have a disease-free herd 



but one which is highly resistant to 

 brucellosis. 



Michigan dairymen and veterinarians 

 are pleased with the results of the new 

 vaccine and are more outspoken in their 

 enthusiasm than Dr. Hudmeson, the dis- 

 cover. 



Dr. E. F. Sterner, Ionia, Mich., veter- 

 inarian, who has vaccinated more than 

 1000 head of cattle with M vaccine, said 

 the new vaccine has "superior merit be- 

 cause you get good results from the vac- 

 cination of older animals. Immuniza- 

 tion," he continued, "seems to last longer 

 and appears to be more effective judging 

 from our limited experience." 



G. E. Peterson, an Ionia dairyman who 

 was born in Livingston county, Illinois, 

 maintains a herd of 40-50 Holsteins all 

 of which have been M vaccinated for 

 brucellosis. Peterson said that before he 

 vaccinated, he was removing a diseased 

 animal a month from his herd. 



"I'm sold on this new vaccine," Peter- 

 son said. "Since I've used it I have had 

 no infection in my herd." 



Dr. Sterner added that "occasionally 

 you may find a herd where it doesn't 

 work 100 percent. But even if it didn't 

 work 100 percent, it is too good to 

 pass up." 



Dairyman Erford Hecht said he had 

 three infected animals and two suspects 

 in his herd of 1 5 before vaccinating. Oiv 

 a later test the three infected animals re- 



{Continued on page 22) 



By JIM THOMSON 



A—'f IdHor. lAA UCOKD 



Right: Dr. t. A. Wohlfar (left). University 

 of Illinois extension veterinarian, and Dr. 

 C. D. Van Houweling, Illinois Agricultwral 

 Association veterinarian (right) look over 

 the records of Dr. E. f. Sterner (center), 

 Ionia, Mich., veterinarian who has had con- 

 siderable experience with the new "M" 

 vaccine for bovine brucellosis. Left: 6. E. 

 Peterson (standing, left) cmd his family 

 ore shewn with Dr. Sterner. Peterson, an 

 Ionia dairyman who came from Livingston 

 county, Illinois, is sold on the benefits of 

 M vaccine which has been administered 

 under the direction of Dr. Sterner. The 

 children (left to right), are: Jim, Karen, 

 Lois (standing), and Jerry. 



AUGUST, 1948 



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