Passive protective effect of egg-yolk antibodies against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88+ infection in neonatal and early-weaned piglets

Ronald R. Marquardt, L. Z. Jin, Jung Woo Kim, Lin Fang, Andrew A. Frohlich, Samuel K Baidoo

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

214 Scopus citations

Abstract

The protective effects of egg-yolk antibodies obtained from hens immunized with fimbrial antigens from a local strain (Escherichia coli K88+ MB, Manitoba, Canada) of K88+ piliated enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) were evaluated in 3- and 21-day-old piglets in which ETEC diarrhea was induced and also in early-weaned piglets in a commercial farm. The results demonstrated that the E. coli K88+ MB-induced diarrhea in 3-day-old piglets was cured 24 h after treating with egg-yolk antibodies while those treated with egg-yolk powder from conventional hens continued to have diarrhea and 62.5% of them died of severe diarrhea. For 21-day-old weaned piglets, those fed egg-yolk antibodies had transient diarrhea, positive body weight gains and 100% survival during the period of the experiment, whereas control piglets that were treated with placebo had severe diarrhea and dehydration and some died within 48 h after infection. In the field trial, the incidence and severity of diarrhea of 14-18-day-old weaned piglets fed egg-yolk antibodies were much lower than in those fed a commercial diet containing an antibiotic. These results indicate that the neonatal and early-weaned piglets that received the egg-yolk antibodies were protected against ETEC infection. Copyright (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)283-288
Number of pages6
JournalFEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology
Volume23
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1999

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was financially supported by The National Science and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), Agri-Food Research and Development Initiatives (ARDI) and the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). We also thank the Puratone Cooperation, Niverville, for use of the Puratone Research Barn in Ste. Agathe (Winnipeg, Man., Canada) and specifically Dr. Landis Henry, Mr. Ab Freig, Ms. Kim Redden and Mr. Marsynik for their excellent assistance in experiment III.

Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Diarrhea
  • Egg-yolk antibody (IgY)
  • Escherichia coli K88+
  • Piglet

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