The response of red deer to oral administration of heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis and challenge with a field strain

Publication date: Available online 19 August 2017 Source:Veterinary Microbiology Author(s): Jobin Thomas, María Ángeles Risalde, Miriam Serrano, Iker Sevilla, Mariví Geijo, José Antonio Ortíz, Miguel Fuertes, José Francisco Ruíz-Fons, José de la Fuente, Lucas Domínguez, Ramón Juste, Joseba Garrido, Christian Gortázar Deer species (family Cervidae) are often part of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex maintenance host community, and tuberculosis (TB) control in deer, including vaccination, is consequently an area of ongoing research. However, most research into deer vaccination against TB is focused on using the live bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG). Oral inactivated vaccines represent an interesting alternative to either oral or parenteral BCG, since neither diagnostic cross-reactions nor vaccine strain survival are likely to occur. In order to describe the red deer response to heat-inactivated M. bovis (IV) as compared to BCG and to unvaccinated controls (n=5/group), we ran an experiment with five month-old vaccinated red deer, which were challenged with a virulent M. bovis strain 70days later and necropsied at 60days post-challenge. A reduction in the IV group infection burden was discovered. There were significant differences between the IV group and the control group (53% lesion reduction) as regards to the TB lesion scores, but not between other pairs. Complement component 3 plasma levels increased after challenge, and there were no differences...
Source: Veterinary Microbiology - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research