Guardian® provides comprehensive protection against the most common causes of scours:

• Two strains of Rotavirus
• Two strains of Coronavirus
• Three types of Clostridium perfringens—B, C, and D
• K99 E. coli

Viruses are well known to mutate. That’s why vaccines need to contain the most contemporary forms of viruses to be effective. Guardian contains Rotavirus types G6 and G10, and Coronavirus types 1 and 3. These have been shown by diagnostic laboratories to be the most prevalent strains in cattle herds today. So, Guardian provides the most up-to-date protection. The components of ScourGuard were identified 20 years ago and have not changed.

Clostridium perfringens produces what is widely known as purple gut. It is a sudden death scours disease, and often the healthiest, most vigorous calves are the ones affected. Guardian contains Cl. perfringens types C and D, and the combination of those confers cross-protection against type B also. Guardian provides the broadest clostridial protection of any scours vaccine.

E. coli may be one of the best-known causes of scours because it is so common in the environment and so lethal. E. coli scours are so severe because of the enterotoxins produced by the bacteria. Enterotoxins can damage tissue locally—in the gut—and also circulate in the bloodstream, causing widespread tissue injury. In a challenge study, Guardian protected 95% of calves from E. coli mortality, while 90% of calves from unvaccinated dams died.

Compared to ScourGuard, Guardian provides the most thoroughly demonstrated real-world protection. The table below shows the difference in type of studies done to verify efficacy for Guardian and ScourGuard. Challenge studies are more comparable to natural exposure to scours pathogens. Serology is used when challenge is not feasible; it is not as reliable a measure of actual immunity but is used for clostridia, which typically are fatal.