Evaluating vaccine response in sheep

Evaluate the efficacy of a Mycoplasma vaccine to produce an immune response in sheep.

Enzootic pneumonia has long been recognised as a common production limiting disease in sheep leading to significant reduction in weight gain and deaths as well as rejection and downgrading of carcasses at slaughter.

Mycoplasma species are recognised to cause pneumonia and lameness in various animal species but treatment is often difficult and few vaccines are available to prevent disease caused by this micro-organism.

The association of Mycoplasma ovipnuemoniae with enzootic pneumonia as well as a cause of lameness in sheep has prompted the search for a preventative therapy.

An effective vaccine is commercially available for use in pigs to prevent infection with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and the aim of this research project is to test the potential of this vaccine to be used in sheep to prevent pneumonia and lameness.

The study will initially involve a pen-based trial to check if the pig vaccine can produce an effective immune response in sheep. If this is successful stage two of the study will involve a field based trial to check its efficacy in preventing infection with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae.