Oral vaccination and multivalent vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis.

Active immunization against Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis and systemic disease in mice was studied. In the first series of experiments, monovalent vaccine, administered orally or intraperitoneally, protected against subsequent corneal and intraperitoneal challenge with the homologous strain of P. aeruginosa; however, oral administration of vaccine elicited less protection than intraperitoneal administration. After both routes, protection was observed at 11 and 32 days post-vaccination, but it was greater at 11 days. In the second series of experiments, multivalent vaccine administered intraperitoneally protected against corneal challenge with 56 to 78 percent of 18 strains.