Immunogen adherence inhibitor and method of making and using same

Abstract

A microbial adherence inhibitor in the form of fowl egg antibodies is disclosed, along with the method of making it and methods of using it. The inhibitor functions by substantially preventing the attachment or adherence of colony-forming immunogens in the rumen and intestinal tracts of host food animals. The inhibitor is made by inoculating female birds with the immunogen, harvesting the eggs which contain antibodies to the immunogen, harvesting the eggs which contain antibodies to the immunogen, drying the egg contents and adding to the feed or water for the host animals. Dependent upon the particular immunogen with which the female bird is inoculated, the egg antibody is used to promote the growth of food animals by improving feed conversion rates by decreasing the waste of dietary protein caused by the presence of certain colony-forming organisms in the animals, and to substantially reduce or eliminate the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of certain illness-causing colony-forming immunogens, such as E. coli 0157:H7, in meat from food animals, and in other food stuffs.

1 . A method for substantially reducing or eliminating the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of targeted colony-forming illness-causing immunogens in meat by inhibiting the ability of the immunogen to adhere to the rumen or intestinal tracts of food animals to reduce the ability of the immunogen to multiply, said method comprising: 
 A. Inoculating female birds, in or about to reach their egg laying age, with the particular targeted illnesses-causing immunogen;    B. Allowing a period of time sufficient to permit the production in the bird of antibody to the targeted immunogen;    C. Harvesting the eggs laid by the birds;    D. Separating the antibody-containing contents of said eggs from the shells;    E. Drying said separated antibody-containing contents of said eggs;    F. Distributing the resulting dried egg antibody product substantially uniformly through an animal feed or water; and    G. Supplying the resulting antibody-containing animal feed or water to food animals to substantially prevent adherence of the targeted immunogen in the intestinal tract of the animals.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein: said illness-causing immunogen is selected from the class consisting of  E. coli,  Listeria, Salmonella and Campylobacter.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  including: 
 providing a dry feed carrier, said drying of the antibody-containing contents of said eggs is achieved by coating the dry feed carrier with said separated antibody-containing contents of said eggs.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein: 
 providing a dry feed carrier material from a group of materials including soybean hulls, rice hulls, corn, cottonseed hulls, distilled dried grains and beet pulp.  
 
     
     
         5 . A method for substantially reducing or eliminating the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of a colony-forming illness-causing  E. coli  immunogen in meat by inhibiting the ability of the  E. coli  immunogen to adhere to the rumen or intestinal tracts of food animals to reduce the ability of the  E. coli  immunogen to multiply, said method comprising: 
 A. Inoculating female birds, in or about to reach their egg laying age, with the illness-causing  E. coli  immunogen;    B. Allowing a period of time sufficient to permit the production in the bird of antibody to the  E. coli  immunogen;    C. Harvesting the eggs laid by the birds;    D. Separating the antibody-containing contents of said eggs from the shells;    E. Drying said separated egg antibody material;    F. Distributing the resulting dried egg antibody product substantially uniformly through an animal feed or water; and    G. Supplying the resulting antibody-containing animal feed or water to food animals to substantially prevent adherence of the  E. coli  immunogen in the intestinal tract of the animal.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  including: 
 providing a dry feed carrier, said drying of the antibody-containing contents of said eggs is achieved by coating the dry feed carrier with said separated antibody-containing contents of said eggs.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein: 
 providing a dry feed carrier material from a group of materials including soybean hulls, rice hulls, corn, cottonseed hulls, distilled dried grains and beet pulp.  
 
     
     
         8 . A method for substantially reducing or eliminating the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of a colony-forming illness-causing Listeria immunogen in meat by inhibiting the ability of the Listeria immunogen to adhere to the rumen or intestinal tracts of food animals to reduce the ability of the Listeria immunogen to multiply, said method comprising: 
 A. Inoculating female birds, in or about to reach their egg laying age, with the illness-causing Listeria immunogen;    B. Allowing a period of time sufficient to permit the production in the bird of antibody to the Listeria immunogen;    C. Harvesting the eggs laid by the birds;    D. Separating the antibody-containing contents of said eggs from the shells;    E. Drying said separated egg antibody material;    F. Distributing the resulting dried egg antibody product substantially uniformly through an animal feed or water; and    G. Supplying the resulting antibody-containing animal feed or water to food animals to substantially prevent adherence of the Listeria immunogen in the intestinal tract of the animal.    
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8  including: 
 providing a dry feed carrier, said drying of the antibody-containing contents of said eggs is achieved by coating the dry feed carrier with said separated antibody-containing contents of said eggs.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein: 
 providing a dry feed carrier material from a group of materials including soybean hulls, rice hulls, corn, cottonseed hulls, distilled dried grains and beet pulp.  
 
     
     
         11 . A method for substantially reducing or eliminating the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of a colony-forming illness-causing Salmonella immunogen in meat by inhibiting the ability of the Salmonella immunogen to adhere to the rumen or intestinal tracts of food animals to reduce the ability of the Salmonella immunogen to multiply, said method comprising: 
 A. Inoculating female birds, in or about to reach their egg laying age, with the illness-causing Salmonella immunogen;    B. Allowing a period of time sufficient to permit the production in the bird of antibody to the Salmonella immunogen;    C. Harvesting the eggs laid by the birds;    D. Separating the antibody-containing contents of said eggs from the shells;    E. Drying said separated egg antibody material;    F. Distributing the resulting dried egg antibody product substantially uniformly through an animal feed or water; and    G. Supplying the resulting antibody-containing animal feed or water to food animals to substantially prevent adherence of the Salmonella immunogen in the intestinal tract of the animal.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11  including: 
 providing a dry feed carrier, said drying of the antibody-containing contents of said eggs is achieved by coating the dry feed carrier with said separated antibody-containing contents of said eggs.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein: 
 providing a dry feed carrier material from a group of materials including soybean hulls, rice hulls, corn, cottonseed hulls, distilled dried grains and beet pulp.  
 
     
     
         14 . A method for substantially reducing or eliminating the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of a colony-forming illness-causing Campylobacter immunogen in meat by inhibiting the ability of the Campylobacter immunogen to adhere to the rumen or intestinal tracts of food animals to reduce the ability of the Campylobacter immunogen to multiply, said method comprising: 
 A. Inoculating female birds, in or about to reach their egg laying age, with the illness-causing Campylobacter immunogen;    B. Allowing a period of time sufficient to permit the production in the bird of antibody to the Campylobacter immunogen;    C. Harvesting the eggs laid by the birds;    D. Separating the antibody-containing contents of said eggs from the shells;    E. Drying said separated egg antibody material;    F. Distributing the resulting dried egg antibody product substantially uniformly through an animal feed or water; and    G. Supplying the resulting antibody-containing animal feed or water to food animals to substantially prevent adherence of the Campylobacter immunogen in the intestinal tract of the animal.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  including: 
 providing a dry feed carrier, said drying of the antibody-containing contents of said eggs is achieved by coating the dry feed carrier with said separated antibody-containing contents of said eggs.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein: 
 providing a dry feed carrier material from a group of materials including soybean hulls, rice hulls, corn, cottonseed hulls, distilled dried grains and beet pulp.  
 
     
     
         17 . A method for substantially reducing or eliminating the incidence of illnesses caused by the presence of targeted colony-forming illness-causing immunogens in meat by inhibiting the ability of the immunogen to adhere to the rumen or intestinal tracts of food animals to reduce the ability of the immunogen to multiply, said method comprising: 
 A. Inoculating female birds, in or about to reach their egg laying age, with the particular targeted illnesses-causing immunogen;    B. Allowing a period of time sufficient to permit the production in the bird of antibody to the targeted immunogen;    C. Harvesting the eggs laid by the birds;    D. Separating the antibody-containing contents of said eggs from the shells;    E. Providing a dry feed carrier material;    F. Coating said dry feed carrier material with the antibody-containing contents of said eggs;    G. Distributing said carrier material coated with the antibody-containing contents of said eggs substantially uniformly in animal feed; and    H. Supplying the resulting dry carrier material coated with the antibody-containing contents of said eggs and animal feed to food animals to substantially prevent adherence of the immunogen in the rumen or intestinal tracts of the animals.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein: 
 providing a dry feed carrier material from a group of materials including soybean hulls, rice hulls, corn, cottonseed hulls, distilled dried grains and beet pulp.