Location: Animal Disease Research Unit
Project Number: 2090-32000-039-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Oct 1, 2016
End Date: Sep 30, 2021
Objective:
The goals of this project are to develop multivalent bovine babesiosis subunit vaccines targeting antigens expressed in different Babesia bovis life cycle stages, to develop serological diagnostic assays to aid in bovine babesiosis and equine piroplasmosis diagnosis and surveillance, and to characterize vector competence and drug susceptibility for a new protozoan parasite of horses. These goals will be addressed in the following objectives:
Objective 1: Develop diagnostic assays and intervention strategies to minimize the impact of bovine babesiosis outbreaks to include vaccines and therapeutic development targeting both the babesia pathogen and tick host.
Subobjective 1A: Determine if immunization with B. bovis blood stage subdominant antigens reduces disease severity and impacts tick infection.
Subobjective 1B: Identify B. bovis tick stage specific targets for development of a vaccine to reduce or block tick infection.
Subobjective 1C: Develop a multivalent vaccine targeting tick and B. bovis parasite proteins to decrease clinical disease and B. bovis transmission.
Subobjective 1D: Develop a B. bovis serological assay to determine infection prevalence.
Objective 2: Develop improved diagnostic assays and control strategies for emerging equine piroplasmosis organisms.
Subobjective 2A: Identify diagnostic targets for detection of horses infected with Theileria-like parasite.
Subobjective 2B: Determine competent tick vectors of the new Theileria-like parasite.
Subobjective 2C: Determine Theileria-like parasite drug susceptibility.
Objective 3: Develop predictive models of potential babesia disease spread in the U.S. to assist in mitigating potential future outbreaks.
Approach:
Objective 1: Develop diagnostic assays and intervention strategies to minimize the impact of bovine babesiosis outbreaks to include vaccines and therapeutic development targeting both the babesia pathogen and tick host.
Goals: The goal of this objective is to develop preventive measures and diagnostic assays for bovine babesiosis in an effort to stop pathogen spread via tick vectors and to understand pathogen prevalence and distribution.
Approach: Target B. bovis proteins expressed in vertebrate or invertebrate hosts which may provide control strategies to reduce disease severity in the mammalian host and block transmission of parasites via tick vectors. In addition, this project will provide diagnostic tools to determine vaccine efficacy and to assess pathogen prevalence and distribution in the U.S.
Objective 2: Develop improved diagnostic assays and control strategies for emerging equine piroplasmosis organisms.
Goals: Develop diagnostic assays for the newly discovered Theileria-like parasite (TLP) to discriminate between horses infected with this new parasite and those infected with T. equi, elucidate vector competency and determine the efficacy of drug therapy to prevent TLP spread in the U.S. horse population.
