During the last winter we started using the new Lepto 4-Way® vaccine in dairy herds to provide protection for you, your staff and ourselves against the recently recognised Lepto strain, Pacifica.
Traditionally we have vaccinated for L Pomona and L Hardjobovis but we know this is not the full complement of lepto strains that cause this debilitating disease in people.
Prior to the vaccine’s release NZ surveys showed 75% of our herds have an immune response against Pacifica when blood tested and 27% of the herds had cow/s shedding L pacifica in their urine.
At a cow level, the survey indicated one in 40 cows in Pacifica infected herds, were shedding: 10 shedding animals per 400.
Since that initial survey further work in unvaccinated herds has been undertaken in the Waikato and we have tested four herds in the Manawatu.
Of the 10 herds tested in the Waikato all showed evidence of infection with L Pacifica and for every 10 cows tested six were positive.
In our case all four Manawatu herds were positive and the percentage within each herd reported as positive, ranged from 5% to 30%.
The evidence for full adoption of this vaccine in dairy herds as an aid for controlling leptospirosis in humans is compelling.
Lepto 4-Way® is now available in both 500 mL and 200 mL packs.