Confirmation of Presence of Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Surface Protein C Antigen and Production of Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Surface Protein C in Dogs Vaccinated with a Whole-cell Borrelia burgdorferi Bacterin

The findings in this study demonstrate the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C (OspC) antigen in a whole-cell bacterin(a) (BBB) and the production of antibodies directed against Borrelia burgdorferi OspC in dogs immunized with this bacterin. Client owned dogs were determined to have negative test results for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi prior to initial or booster immunization. Monoclonal OspC antibody Western blot demonstrated presence of Borrelia burgdorferi OspC antigen in the whole-cell bacterin. Serum samples obtained post-immunization and evaluated with an in vitro qualitative assay for the detection of IgG antibodies in canine serum that react with Borrelia burgdorferi antigens, including OspC, revealed that dogs under field and laboratory conditions had Western blot evidence of production of antibodies directed against Borrelia burgdorferi OspC.