Mention "autogenous vaccines" and an image of weird, mad scientists creating a hocus-pocus product in a grimy, grungy bathtub might be conjured. Other individuals might simply shrug their shoulders and wonder "What kind of vaccine? Autogenous? What's that?"

Say "autogenous vaccines" to feedyard managers, cow/calf producers and veterinarians who have used a custom-created vaccine and a different image will come to mind - one of "the good guys" who provide solutions when commercial vaccines cannot provide the protection needed.

"With an autogenous vaccine, I get a product specifically developed to address animal health challenges at this feedyard," states Jerry Bohn, General Manager, Pratt Feeders, LLC, Pratt, Kan. "It has been manufactured from bacterial or viral strains isolated from here, updated several times a year and targets only the problem organisms."

When to Use
While autogenous vaccines and bacterins are not cure-alls and are not the answer for every animal health problem, Dr. Chris Chase of South Dakota State University's Department of Veterinary Science says autogenous vaccines play two key roles in the industry: 1) They can fill a void when there is no commercially available vaccine for new, disease-causing agents; and 2) Autogenous vaccines can provide a solution when antigenic variation occurs.

"When a veterinarian comes to us with a disease challenge for which there is no commercial vaccine, our job is to provide solutions," states Dr. Tom Robb of Imm-Tech Biologics, Bucyrus, Kan. "We use isolated bacteria or viruses, then develop and manufacture a herd-specific or feedyard-specific immunological product from the strains isolated from a particular ranch or feedyard.

"This product is only for that ranch's or feedyard's use, and it's created strictly to address the exact strains of bacteria or viruses found."

Steps
When disease strikes and a veterinarian-producer team agree that an autogenous vaccine or bacterin is needed, the next step is to contact a reputable, USDA-licensed manufacturer to handle the job.

"There are a lot of autogenous vaccine manufacturers out there, but not all manufacturers produce quality vaccines that will achieve desired results," Dr. Robb adds. "There is a difference in manufacturers and in adjuvants used in autogenous products.

"Using a high-quality adjuvant can make a 'poor' vaccine antigen highly effective. My recommendation would be an adjuvant proven to slowly release the killed viruses or bacteria over a period of time in the animal, so a strong immune response is achieved."

Doug Burkhardt of Biovet and Dr. Robb of ImmTech agree that identifying a quality and reputable autogenous manufacturer is a critical step.

Once an autogenous vaccine manufacturer has been identified and contacted, beef producers can step aside and allow the veterinarian, diagnostic lab and autogenous manufacturer to do the rest of the work:

Step 2: The veterinarian takes appropriate samples from infected animals.

Step 3: The samples are sent to a diagnostic laboratory for identification, culture and isolation.

Step 4: The diagnostic laboratory sends the cultures to an autogenous manufacturer.

Step 5: Antigen production and vaccine manufacturing begins.

Step 6: The vaccine undergoes stringent safety testing and purity testing required by the USDA. (This is the same testing as for commercial products.)

Step 7: The vaccine is shipped to either the ranch from which the organisms were isolated or to the attending veterinarian. The product can only be used at the ranch or feedyard where the organisms were isolated, unless special permission is granted by the USDA and the State Veterinarian authorizes use in adjacent or non-adjacent herds believed to be at risk of infection.

The manufacturer of the autogenous product tests isolates for purity, grows the bacteria or virus and inactivates the pathogen. The company also blends the bacteria with an adjuvant and bottles the product. The uniqueness of autogenous vaccines is that they can be customized to the precise needs of the client.

Unlike commercial vaccines that are government approved and licensed, the USDA does not demand that an autogenous vaccine be tested and compared to a challenge model to prove that it protects against a specified disease. Autogenous vaccines are governed, however, by federal regulations regarding safety. Thus, before the finished product is approved for shipment, it's tested for purity, safety and sterility.

From the time a sample sent to the diagnostic laboratory until a vaccine can be produced usually takes two to four weeks. Early shipment of initial batches of vaccine is allowed by the USDA, or when a problem is an emergency. ©

This is Part 1 of a two-part series about autogenous vaccines. Next part will highlight how an autogenous vaccine can sometimes lead to a commercial vaccine.