Laboratory production of hyperimmune serum against Bovine ephemeral fever virus isolated in Iran

Considering the numerous applications of polyclonal antibodies in research and clinical fields, the development of methods for the preparation of hyperimmune serum against pathogens is very important. In this research, a method for producing hyperimmune serum against bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) was introduced. This virus causes a disabling disease in cattle and water buffalo. The hyperimmune serum was raised in rabbit using at least 106 TCID50 of the whole viral particle which was administered intravenously without adjuvant at 0, 1 and 4 weeks intervals. This schedule resulted in a high titer of polyclonal antibodies against the virus which has recently been isolated in Iran and is the subject of essential studies. The hyperimmune serum as a biological product of this research will definitely be exploited in the experiments required for these studies as well as possible commercial applications in the future and clinical usage of hyperimmune serum by optimized procedure in prevention of disease.