Systemic Pasteurella haemolytica infection as a rare sequel to avirulent live Pasteurella haemolytica vaccination in cattle

Department of Veterinary Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings 57007.

Eleven cases of systemic Pasteurella haemolytica infection in cattle were identified from routine diagnostic laboratory submissions during the falls of 1988, 1989, and 1991. All cases came with a history of recent vaccination with an avirulent live culture P. haemolytica product. Nine of 11 cases involved cattle vaccinated between 2 and 18 days previously with this product. Ten of 11 cases involved 182-227-kg beef calves that were vaccinated between September and November during routine processing for entry into feedlots. The morbidity and mortality was generally low. The major pathologic findings included meningitis, injection site abscessation and/or cellulitis, and polyarthritis. Systemic infection was indicated in all cases by the isolation of P. haemolytica from 2 or more organs or distinct anatomical sites. In 6 cases, the vaccine injection site was cultured, and in all 6 cases, P. haemolytica was isolated. Three separate P. haemolytica isolates from 2 cases were further studied by restriction enzyme analysis (REA). These isolates were from tissues with suppurative inflammation, including the brain, joint, and injection site. The REA patterns of each of these 3 isolates were identical to the REA pattern of the vaccine masterseed, which strongly suggested that the organisms causing systemic infection were the same as the organism used to produce the vaccine. Because the overall incidence was quite low, other factors, such as stress, probably played a major role in the expression of this syndrome.