Efficacy and durability of bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) virus killed vaccine adjuvanted with monolaurin

The bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV) causes reproductive, enteric, and respiratory diseases. Vaccination is essential in increasing herd resistance to BVDV spread. The selection of an adjuvant is an important factor in the success of the vaccination process. Monolaurin or glycerol monolaurate is a safe compound with an immunomodulatory effect. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of monolaurin as a novel adjuvant. This was examined through the preparation of an inactivated BVDV (NADL strain) vaccine adjuvanted with different concentrations of monolaurin and compared with the registered available locally prepared polyvalent vaccine (Pneumo-4) containing BVD (NADL strain), BoHV-1 (Abou Hammad strain), BPI3 (strain 45), and BRSV (strain 375L), and adjuvanted with aluminum hydroxide gel. The inactivated BVDV vaccine was prepared using three concentrations, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%, from monolaurin as adjuvants. A potency test was performed on five groups of animals. The first group, which did not receive vaccination, served as a control group while three other groups were vaccinated using the prepared vaccines. The fifth group received the Pneumo-4 vaccine. Vaccination response was monitored by measuring viral neutralizing antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was found that the BVD inactivated vaccine with 1% and 2% monolaurin elicited higher neutralizing antibodies that have longer-lasting effects (nine months) with no reaction at the injection site in comparison to the commercial vaccine adjuvanted by aluminum hydroxide gel.