Veterinary Immunology and Serology

BLOOD GROUPS

• Cattle - 11 blood group systems. B and J are important. HDN is rare in calves. It may result from vaccination against anaplasmosis or babesiosis. If it occurs death is due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
• Sheep - 6 blood group systems.
• Pigs - 16 systems, HDN can occur due to use of hog cholera vaccine containing pig blood;
• Horses – 7 systems, HDN only a problem in foals born to mares that had had many foals previously.
• Dogs – 8 systems, DEA (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen) 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4...etc;
• Cats – only one blood group system. HDN is rare.
• Chicken – 12 blood group systems. A haemolytic disease may be artificially produced in chicken embryos by vaccinating the hen with cock red cells.