Johne's disease: Immunization and diagnosis

Abstract

The best approach for evaluating vaccines against Johne's disease would possibly be the development of field trials in which vaccinates and controls were randomly selected within an infected herd, identified, and observed over several years for disease signs. The advantages to field trial evaluation lie in the natural method of exposure of the test animals. Also, it would be desirable to assay vaccines prepared from both killed and living strains of M. paratuberculosis as to their utility. Killed bacilli vaccines prepared from both virulent and avirulent strains should be tried; in addition, the best method of killing should be determined.