Location: Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research
2023 Annual Report
Accomplishments
1. Identified a novel tuberculosis vaccine oral delivery system for use in white-tailed deer. Tuberculosis is a chronic zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animal reservoirs. Wildlife reservoirs of tuberculosis are a challenging obstacle to eradication of this disease in the United States. In Michigan, prevalence of disease in wild deer populations has not changed for 2 decades and approximately 2-3 cattle herds are infected annually. Depopulation of infected cattle herds causes significant economic costs for producers. New intervention strategies, such as efficacious vaccination platforms, are needed to prevent tuberculosis transmission from infected wild deer. Using the Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG tuberculosis vaccine. ARS scientists in Ames, Iowa, demonstrated the efficacy of oral delivery of liquid BCG to white-tailed deer. To address issues associated with delivery of liquid vaccines to wild deer, the ARS scientists collaborated with USDA-APHIS scientists to develop small edible alginate spheres containing liquid BCG. Immune responses in deer eating alginate sphere vaccines were equal to those of deer receiving orally delivered liquid BCG. This data demonstrates this oral platform can be used to develop edible baits for vaccination of wild deer and is effective in decreasing tuberculosis transmission between deer and from deer to cattle. A tuberculosis vaccine for deer would be of interest to regulatory personnel, livestock producers, and wildlife health officials.
Review Publications
Kanipe, C.R., Boggiatto, P.M., Putz, E.J., Palmer, M.V. 2022. Histopathologic differences in granulomas of BCG vaccinated and non-vaccinated cattle with bovine tuberculosis. Frontiers in Microbiology. 13, Article 1048648. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1048648.
Boggiatto, P.M., Olsen, S.C., Palmer, M.V. 2022. Pulmonary hamartoma in an elk calf (Cervus elaphus canadensis). Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 35(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387221141091.
