immunity gap
English
editNoun
editimmunity gap (plural immunity gaps)
- (veterinary medicine) The time period during which a young mammal no longer receives effective immunity to diseases from antibodies in its mother's milk but its own immune system is not fully developed.
- 2007, Neville G. Gregory, Temple Grandin, Animal Welfare and Meat Production, page 104:
- The entry of E. coli in a protein-rich medium into the small intestine, which has a damaged surface from the switch to solid feed, at a time when the pig's immune response is normally low (the immunity gap), presents a high risk for a secretory diarrhea.
- 2008, E. A. Chandler, R. M. Gaskell, C. J. Gaskell, Feline Medicine and Therapeutics, page 15:
- The actual age at which the immunity gap develops depends on the amount of maternally derived antibody (MDA) transferred to each kitten.
- 2021, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal nutrition strategies and options to reduce the use of antimicrobials in animal production, page 11:
- Prior to this, young animals face an 'immunity gap': passive immunity is reduced and the animal's own immune system is not yet fully capable of combating pathogens.
- (epidemiology) The time period between when an individual's or a population's immunity to a virus has waned (due to normal decrease in immune response over time or to the development of a new strain of the virus) and before a new vaccine can be given to boost immunity.
- 2009, Michael R. Dobbs, Clinical Neurotoxicology, page 437:
- However, an immunity gap in adults coupled with the presence of large numbers of susceptible children and adolescents creates the potential for an extensive epidemic.
- 2016, David E. Swayne, Animal Influenza, page 530:
- Thus with the usual booster (third dose) at 5-6 months there is only a small risk of an immunity gap.
- 2022, Walter A. Orenstein, Paul A. Offit, Kathryn M. Edwards, Plotkin's Vaccines, page 902:
- While prior studies in Pakistan indicated near universal exposure to hepatitis A by age 14 years, the incidence of acute hepatitis A among adults has increased in recent years, indicating an immunity gap.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see immunity, gap.
- 2000, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Commerce. Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, Saving Lives: The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, page 26:
- In other words, there currently exists a Good Samaritan immunity gap between and among the states.