Covexin10 vaccine wins approval
Examples of these diseases in cattle are blackleg, red water and malignant edema. Braxy, pulpy kidney and tetanus are among the most common killers in sheep. They usually result in death, with few symptoms or warning signs.
Fergal Morris, veterinary adviser, Schering Plough Animal Health, said the new vaccine was developed to combat two new strains of clostridial bacteria identified in recent years.
“These newly identified lethal bacteria cause sudden death in sheep and severe stomach infections in cattle, which are also usually fatal. Post mortems conducted at the Department of Agriculture’s veterinary laboratories during the past year confirm that Irish farmers have lost cattle and sheep due to these two new strains,” he said.
He said that many clostridial diseases are closely related and often present in the same animal at death, but a broad-spectrum vaccine like Covexin 10 eliminates guess work, and protects animals against all known clostridial causes.
He said Schering Plough’s existing Covexin 8 and Tribovax-T vaccines, used by Irish farmers for decades to protect against sudden death diseases, will remain on the market.
