PRIZE animals could be protected from foot and mouth disease by an injection
of antibodies, says a British researcher.
When animals are vaccinated or infected, they make antibodies that bind to
the virus and help the immune system mop it up. But Peter Lachmann, an
immunologist at Cambridge University, says that rare or valuable animals such as
Berkshire pigs could be given “off-the-shelf” antibodies so they don’t
get infected in the first place.
It’s not practical for every animal. “But for high-value animals, it’s
something people should think about,” Lachmann says.
The big advantage is that the antibodies would protect…
