252
Comparative Study of Rinderpest Bull-Goat-Viruses
TABLE V
Type of reaction observed among buffalo-calves used for bull virus production
Years
(1)
1038-39 .
1939-40 .
1940-41 ..
1941-42 .
1943-44 .
Total
Number
of
calves
used
(2)
133
132
65
71
7S
479
Type of reactions observed
Thermal
(3)
130
117
55
53
63
41S
87.3
per cent
Diarrhoea
(4)
115
100
35
35
39
324
67.6
per cent
Month
lesions
(5)
72
47
22
19
22
182
38
per cent
Mortality
(6)
77
71
25
30
33
230
49.2
per cent
Number
of non-
reactors
(those
that had
no
reaction
at all)
(7)
1
10
10
16
11
48
Number
of calves
bled
(8)
1.02
96
47
43
56
344
Mortality amongst
the bled
(9)
59 plus 1 (destroyed
tor spleen)
59
19 plus 3 (destroyed
for spleen)
18 plus 8 (destroyed
for spleen)
17 plus 11 (destroyed
for spleen)
172 plus 23 (destroy-
ed for spleen)
Number
of
reactors
not bled
(10)
30
25
8
12
11
80
Mortality
amongst
the
non-
(Reacted
but not
(11)
17
12
3
4
a
41
Total calves used . . . . . . . .
Number of calves bled
Number of calves reacting but not bled .. . . . . . . .
Percentage of mortality amongst the bled
Percentage of mortality amongst those reacting but not bled
Percentage of mortality amongst the total number of calves used
479
344
86
50 (excluding those destroyed for
spleen)
46.5
49.2
SUMMARY
A brief survey of the work done on the goat virus.
alone method of inoculation in the Madras Province
is given.
Two strains of goat virus, the Mukteswar strain
and the Madras strain, are maintained at the Serum
Institute, Madras, and there is not much difference
in the nature and percentage of reactions set up by
them in the control calves.
It was found both from experiments conducted
in the laboratory and in the field that the method
of protecting cattle against rinderpest by the goat
virus alone was not quite a safe one. The reactions
set up by this method in the control calves were
severe resulting in a mortality of 21.5 per cent
amongst them. In the field, though the percentage
of mortality was negligible, the severity of reactions
set up by this method, especially in buffaloes, was
such that it became unpopular among the ryots
who could ill-afford to have some of their animals
incapacitated for work and their milk yield reduced
even for a short period.
The spleen tissue emulsion in normal saline solu-
tion also behaved in the same manner as the blood
virus ; hence it could not also be advocated for use
without anti-serum.
From experience gained in this province it may
be said that the ideal attenuation of the virus for
use as such without anti-serum, in bovines, cannot
be said to have been obtained by successive pas-
sages through goats.
The percentage of mortality among goat virus
control calves was observed to be much less, less
than even half of that which occurred among the
calves used for the production of bull virus, though
appreciable difference was not noticed in the degree
and nature of other reactions.
ACKOWLEDGEMENTS
It is my pleasant duty to express thanks to Capt.
T. J. Hurley, Director of Veterinary Services, Madras,
and Mr L. A. Sarma, G.M.V.C, Superintendent,
Serum Institute (Madras), Coimbatore, for helpful
suggestions.
REFERENCES
Annual Reports. Civil Veterinary Department, Madras.
1932-33 to 1943-44.
Bachan Singh (1939). Goat virus vaccination in the Central
Provinces and Berar (Final Report). Indian J. vet. Sci.
9, 279
D'Costa, R.S.J. (1938). Rinderpest—method of immuniza-
tion. Indian vet. J, 14, 331
Nair, K. S., Krishnamurti, R., and Kalyanasundaram, G. S.
(1941). A study on goat spleen tissue vaccine as an
immunizing agent against rinderpest. Indian J. vet. Sci.
11,
244.
Nair, K. S., Krishnamurti, R., and Kalyanasundaram, G. S.
(1942). A study on desiccated goat spleen vaccine as an
immunizing agent against rinderpest. Indian J. vet. Sci.
12,
305.
Saunders, P. T., and Ayyar, K. K. (1936). An experimental
study of rinderpest virus in goats in a series of 150 direct
passages. Indian J. vet. Sci. 6, 1