Determination of Viral Titers in Autologous Vaccines Used for the Treatment of Cutaneous and Teat Papillomatosis in Cattle

Abstract

Bovine papillomatosis causes cutaneous and teat lesions that can impair milking and reduce the economic value of affected cattle. This study aimed to standardise the preparation of autologous vaccines for field use against bovine papillomavirus (BPV) infection and to determine the viral titers of vaccine suspensions before chemical inactivation. Teat and body wart samples were collected from 50 cattle aged 1–10 years in the Burdur region. DNA extracted from the lesions was analysed by type-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for BPV types 1 and 2. Autologous vaccines were prepared from the collected tissues, and preparations derived from BPV-positive samples were assessed by microtitration in L-929 fibroblast cells. Viral titers were calculated using the Spearman–Kärber method. BPV type 2 was detected in 44% of the animals (n = 22), whereas BPV type 1 was detected in 12% (n = 6). The reported average titer range for vaccines prepared from teat warts was Log₁₀TCID₅₀ 10¹⁸–10¹⁹·⁵, while the range for vaccines prepared from body warts was Log₁₀TCID₅₀ 10²⁰·⁵–10²²·⁵. Thus, preparations derived from body warts had higher reported titers than those derived from teat warts. These findings provide preliminary data for viral-load assessment during autologous vaccine preparation. Further batch-level standardisation and evaluation of clinical efficacy, immune responses, and dose–response relationships are required before the reported titer ranges can be linked to treatment outcomes.