At the recent Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease, Dr. Bonnie Mallard from the University of Guelph presented an abstract entitled, “From concept to commercialization: Using immunogenetics and immunoceuticals to naturally improve animal health.” The high immune response (HIR®) technology, developed and patented by Dr. Mallard and colleagues at the University of Guelph, identifies animals with superior innate and adaptive immune responses. High immune responder cows have greater concentrations of conventional and natural antibodies, as well as antibodies with ultralong CDR3 regions known for their novel therapeutic potential. High responders have also been shown to be more resilient to heat. The goal is to produce livestock naturally resistant to diverse pathogens, including viruses and bacteria, leading to improved herd health, productivity, and welfare.
As an example, a recent study (read on ScienceDirect.com) demonstrated that dairy cows with Immunity+ Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBVs) that were exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A H5N1 required fewer treatments. Treatment records (n = 15,386) and daily milk yield data (n = 650) were obtained from herd management software from 6 large commercial dairy herds in the United States with confirmed HPAI H5N1 outbreaks. Supportive treatment in this study was producer-driven and based on observable clinical signs, with vitamin B consistently applied as an intervention across all 6 herds. Treatment was generally given to individually affected animals rather than entire pens, although thresholds for intervention likely varied slightly among herds, and generally no veterinary oversight was involved.
The association between Immunity+ GEBV classes and the likelihood of requiring supportive treatment was assessed using binomial logistic regression, whereas linear models were used to assess the effects of Immunity+ GEBV class on the length of the milk fluctuation period following treatment and total milk loss during this period. Cows with high Immunity+ GEBVs were 24% less likely to require supportive treatment compared with those with low Immunity+ GEBVs (odds ratio = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.9). High immunity cows also experienced significantly lower milk loss (484.46 kg; 95% CI: 440.61 to 528.30 kg) during the post-treatment fluctuation period compared with low immunity cows (618.10 kg; 95% CI: 561.08 to 675.12 kg). Overall, these findings support the value of selecting for enhanced immune response to improve animal health, reduce production losses, and strengthen economic resilience during disease challenges.