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| Glossary of terms |
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| Antibodies |
| The immune system can detect exogenous pathogens (antigens) and develop specific antibodies in its defence. These antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) can bind antigens and neutralize them. There is a distinction between the animal's own antibodies which are produced following contact with the antigen (via infection or vaccination), and maternal antibodies. Newborn animals absorb maternal antibodies from the colostrum which provide effective protection against infections in the first weeks of life. |
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| Interference with maternal antibodies |
| With early vaccination at a few days of age, production of antibodies to the vaccine can be blocked by maternal antibodies when using conventional two-shot products. The maternal antibodies absorbed by the piglets with the colostrum after birth can target and destroy the vaccine antigen. This can reduce the immunizing effect of the vaccination. In order to avoid this interference and maximize the vaccination's effectiveness, the piglets should not be vaccinated against mycoplasma prior to three weeks of age. |
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| Antigen |
| Antigens are foreign agents (e.g. infectious pathogens such as mycoplasma) that trigger the production of antibodies in an organism. Vaccines too contain antigens. There are two types of vaccines: killed vaccines (inactivated, dead antigens) and live vaccines (modified, live antigens). |
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| Adjuvants |
| Killed vaccines require adjuvants to sufficiently stimulate the immune system. The adjuvant increases (boosts) the immune response to the antigen. Conventional adjuvants are water-based and release the antigens immediately following vaccination. However, in order for the vaccine to be sufficiently effective, the animal must be exposed to the pathogen over a certain period of time. Therefore, with killed vaccines, previously it was necessary to administer a repeat vaccination or "booster dose". |
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| Depot adjuvant |
| New depot adjuvants are based on biodegradable oil emulsions. These new emulsions are well tolerated in contrast to the mineral oils frequently used in other vaccines. True depot adjuvants have a high viscosity when cold due to the higher oil content. Therefore, depot vaccines should always be warmed to body temperature prior to injection, e.g. in lukewarm water or by putting them in your trouser pocket. Then the depot vaccine can be easily administered. |
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| ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) |
| The ELISA test determines the animal's antibody level and is therefore used to detect an infection. As antibodies can be detected approximately three weeks after an infection has occurred, ELISA can be used to isolate the time of infection in the herd. |
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| PCR (polymerase chain reaction) |
| This procedure can be used to detect the pathogen before a relevant infection occurs. As the presence of some pathogens cannot, however, be automatically equated with the presence of an infection, PCR is not suitable for herd diagnosis. |
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| Seroconversion |
| Seroconversion is the formation of antibodies as the immune system's response to an infection by antigens. The previously negative test for antibodies now becomes positive. |
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| One-shot vaccine |
One-shot vaccines are all vaccines that provide full protection after administration of a single dose. Previously, this was only possible with live vaccines, as the "live" vaccine antigen is still able to multiply in the animal and stimulate an adequate immune response. Killed vaccines, on the other hand, always had to be administered twice to provide sufficient protection. |
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| Two-shot vaccine |
| Two-shot vaccines are vaccines that only provide full protection after administration of the second dose. Previously killed vaccines were generally two-shot vaccines, as the inactivated vaccine antigen is rapidly catabolized in the animal and the second dose (booster dose) is necessary to achieve adequate stimulation of the immune system. Novel adjuvant delivery systems now make it possible to achieve full vaccine protection with one single vaccination - even with killed vaccines and in high infection-pressure situations. The sustained-release effect of these new adjuvants is based on high oil content. Therefore, true one-shot killed vaccines have a viscous consistency. |
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| Immune prophylaxis |
| This means all the preventive measures that are taken to control an infection. |
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| Humoral immunity |
| A specific response of the immune system where the immunoglobulins (antibodies) react with the antigens (pathogens) to control the infection. |
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| Cell-mediated immunity |
| Cell-mediated immunity is a specific immune response mediated by T cell lymphocytes, for example for defence against certain viral or bacterial agents, foreign tissue or tumor cells. |
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