Comparative onset of immunity of oral and intranasal vaccines against challenge with Bordetella bronchiseptica

Three groups of approximately eight-week-old beagles were vaccinated once with 1 ml of placebo vaccine (oral, n=9), 1 ml of Recombitek® Oral Bordetella (oral, n=10) or 1 ml Nobivac® Intra-Trac(3) (intranasal, 0.5 ml/nostril, n=10). Seven days after vaccination, the three groups were challenged with virulent Bordetella bronchiseptica via aerosolisation. Eight of nine dogs in the placebo group and no dogs in the Recombitek® Oral Bordetella or Nobivac® Intra-Trac(3) vaccine groups developed spontaneous cough of two or more consecutive days (disease case definition). Dogs in the Recombitek® Oral Bordetella and Nobivac® Intra-Trac(3) groups had a significantly lower incidence of disease (P<0.0001) with a 100 per cent preventable fraction. The study demonstrated that vaccination with either Recombitek® Oral Bordetella or Nobivac® Intra-Trac(3) is effective in preventing disease seven days after vaccination when compared with dogs vaccinated with a placebo.