16
Immunization of Sheep and Goats Against Rinderpest
serum and goatis and had not reacted at the time of vaccination, reacted to bull virus, indicating
that serum and goatis mixed did not produce any immunity. Hill goat No. 155, which had mildly
reacted on vaccination did not evince any thermal reaction. It will thus be observed that the Betals
and the hill goats behave in a similar fashion to inoculation of serum and goatis and develop a similar
degree of immunity. Here it may be mentioned that the bull virus did not produce a very severe
reaction (only a thermal reaction), either in bovines or goats or sheep at Hissar. The observations
in this connection made elsewhere (see section under sheep) also show that the bull virus produces
a reaction milder to that of goatis in sheep and goat. Nicolle and Adilbey [1902] and Walker [1922]
also noticed only thermal reaction in sheep on inoculation of bovine blood virus. The reaction in
the cattle of Hissar breed is also milder [Report of the Disease Investigation Officer, Punjab, 1944-45]
as compared to the reaction described from other parts of India which is probably due to the climatic
conditions or the natural resistance of Hissar breed.
The results are tabulated in Table VI.
TABLE VI
The results of community test in goats vaccinated with goatis alone and in conjunction with serum
Nos. of Goat
100
78
91
70
76
137
155
75
3
Breed
Betal . .
do. . . .
do. . . .
do. . . .
Hill . . .
do. . . .
do. . . .
do. . . .
Buffalo calves (con-
trols)
Date of
immunization
9 December, 1944 ;
goatis serum
do. . .
do. .
do. .
24
November,
1944 ; Goatis
serum
do. .
24
November,
1944 ; goatis
alone
24
November,
1944 ; goatis
followed by
serum 24 hours
later ..
Type of reaction
at the time of
immunization
Blocked reaction .
do. . . .
Mild . . .
Severe . . .
Doubtful . .
do. . . .
Mild . . .
No reaction . .
....
Date of bull virus
injection
23 March, 1945 .
do. . .
do. . .
do. . .
do. . .
do. . .
do. . .
do. . .
..
Results
No reaction
do.
do.
do.
Positive reaction
do.
No reaction
Positive reaction
Positive reaction
(two died of
rinderpest)
Field trial
Rinderpest was prevalent in the Kangra and Kulu valleys of the Punjab, which are areas of
high rainfall and cool climate, because of the high altitude. There a stock of 600 Himalayan Gaddi
goats was immunized by the serum-goatis method, 0.01 gm. of goatis and 15 c.c. serum ; a few of the
goats were not inoculated so that they might serve as controls. It was possible to keep regular
temperature charts in the case of 10 animals only eight vaccinated and two controls. The controls
died of the disease while the vaccinated ones survived the outbreak, thus confirming the results
obtained at Hissar farm, namely that a combination of serum and goatis can be safely employed to
produce immunity in goats against rinderpest.
(B) SHEEP
The experiments carried out on goats were repeated on Lohi, Hissari, Merino-Bikaneri crosses
Bikaneri and desi sheep at the same time. Some variations in the reaction were observed in the
different breeds. Goatis by itself was used as the immunizing agent in all breeds except the Lohi,
in which because of the great susceptibility of sheep of that breed serum was used with the goatis