High- and low-challenge exposure doses used to compare intranasal and intramuscular administration of pseudorabies virus vaccine in passively immune pigs.

We compared 3 modified-live pseudorabies virus (PRV) vaccine strains, administered by the intranasal (IN) or IM routes to 4- to 6-week-old pigs, to determine the effect of high- and low-challenge doses in these vaccinated pigs. At the time of vaccination, all pigs had passively acquired antibodies to PRV. Four experiments were conducted. Four weeks after vaccination, pigs were challenge-exposed IN with virulent virus strain Iowa S62. In experiments 1 and 2, a high challenge exposure dose (10(5.3) TCID50) was used, whereas in experiments 3 and 4, a lower challenge exposure dose (10(2.8) TCID50) was used. This low dose was believed to better simulate field conditions. After challenge exposure, pigs were evaluated for clinical signs of disease, weight gain, serologic response, and viral shedding. When vaccinated pigs were challenge-exposed with a high dose of PRV, the duration of viral shedding was significantly (P less than 0.05) lower, and body weight gain was greater in vaccinated pigs, compared with nonvaccinated challenge-exposed pigs. Pigs vaccinated IN shed PRV for fewer days than pigs vaccinated IM, but this difference was not significant. When vaccinated pigs were challenge-exposed with a low dose, significantly (P less than 0.05) fewer pigs vaccinated IN (51%) shed PRV, compared with pigs vaccinated IM (77%), or nonvaccinated pigs (94%). Additionally, the duration of viral shedding was significantly (P less than 0.05) shorter in pigs vaccinated IN, compared with pigs vaccinated IM or nonvaccinated pigs. The high challenge exposure dose of PRV may have overwhelmed the local immune response and diminished the advantages of the IN route of vaccination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)