02441: Evaluation of a New Vaccine for Canine Brucellosis
Grant Status: Closed
One Health: Yes
Abstract
Canine infection by Brucella spp. constitutes a serious problem for dog breeders and pet owners, leading to the economic burden associated with reproductive loss and veterinary care. Canine brucellosis is also considered a public health concern because of its potential to be transmitted to humans. Within the U.S., the disease has reemerged due to the chronic persistence of the organism, low dose for infection, low sensitivity and specificity of the current diagnostic tests, and most importantly, the lack of a protective vaccine for dogs. Historically in the U.S., brucellosis control efforts for cattle, sheep, goats and domestic pigs have been successful mainly due to the availability of protective and efficacious vaccines. The goal of the proposed research is to develop a brucellosis vaccine that is safe, stable, free of side effects and efficacious for dogs. Previous AKC CHF funding (Grant #02175-A) has permitted the investigators to successfully engineer a promising live attenuated vaccine candidate denominated B. canis RM666∆vjbR. This study will further investigate the ability of the vaccine candidate to induce appropriate immunity prior to its testing in dogs and will also develop a diagnostic assay capable of differentiating naturally infected vs vaccinated animals, necessary for mass vaccination. The development of a safe and highly protective brucellosis vaccine for dogs, will significantly impact owners, breeders and human health by limiting the spread of the disease.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
Help Future Generations of Dogs
Participate in canine health research by providing samples or by enrolling in a clinical trial. Samples are needed from healthy dogs and dogs affected by specific diseases.
