Reduced faecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle following systemic vaccination with gamma-intimin C280 and EspB proteins

DANIEL A VILTE ; MARIANO LARZÁBAL ; SERGIO GARBACCIO ; M GAMMELLA ; BETTINA C RABINOVITZ ; ANA M ELIZONDO ; R J CANTET ; FERNANDO DELGADO ; VIRGINIA MEIKLE ; ANGEL CATALDI ; ELSA C MERCADO

VACCINE

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2011 vol. 29 p. 3962 - 3968

0264-410X

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is the most prevalent EHEC serotype that has been recovered from patients with haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) worldwide. Vaccination of cattle, the main reservoir of EHEC O157:H7, could be a logical strategy to fight infection in humans. This study evaluated a vaccine based on the carboxyl-terminal fragment of 280 amino acids of gamma-intimin (gamma-intimin C280) and EspB, two key colonization factors of E. coli O157:H7. Intramuscular immunization elicited significantly high levels of serum IgG antibodies against both proteins. Antigen-specific IgA and IgG were also induced in saliva, but only the IgA response was significant. Following experimental challenge with E. coli O157:H7, a significant reduction in bacterial shedding was observed in vaccinated calves, compared to control group. These promising results suggest that systemic immunization of cattle with intimin and EspB could be a feasible strategy to reduce EHEC O157:H7 faecal shedding in cattle.