Abstract
Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) is a zoonotic disease endemic to environments worldwide. Spores, the dormant form of the bacteria, can survive for decades in nature’s harshest environments and maintain their viability to cause disease. Outbreaks are common in free-ranging livestock and wildlife, thus making anthrax an economically and ecologically important disease. The currently available vaccine to protect livestock is a suspension of B. anthracis Sterne Strain 34F2 spores in saponin (Sterne vaccine). However, it is only available as a subcutaneous injection which is an impractical method of prevention for wildlife. Oral vaccination is the ideal method for free-ranging wildlife, but the Sterne vaccine has never been thoroughly evaluated for oral administration. The current study evaluated the antibody titers induced in mice by subcutaneous or oral vaccination with three different doses of the Sterne vaccine. Results described here show a gradual increase in antibody titers at each time point following subcutaneous vaccination with all vaccine doses. In contrast, no antibody response was detected from any dose or any time point after oral vaccination. Taken together, these results suggest that the Sterne vaccine is only effective as a subcutaneous injection and that an alternate oral anthrax vaccine formulation must be developed to allow for efficient vaccination of free-ranging livestock and wildlife.
Highlights
IntroductionZoonotic disease caused by the spore forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis
Anthrax is an ancient, zoonotic disease caused by the spore forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis
All bacteria used in this experiment were live attenuated B. anthracis Sterne strain 34F2 spores (Sterne spores) that were cultured from a new vial of the Anthrax Spore Vaccine (ASV) from Colorado Serum Company (Denver, CO, USA), the commercial producer of the Sterne vaccine in North America
Summary
Zoonotic disease caused by the spore forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis. In the United States, the Edwards Plateau region of Texas spans more than 1.5 million acres and experiences yearly outbreaks that can be exacerbated by cool, wet weather followed by hot, dry conditions [9]. This same region of Texas happens to include upwards of 68% of the state’s nearly 500 exotic animal reserves that are important economic and conservation resources, according to a 1992 report by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department [10]. While environmental conditions may help predict anthrax epizootics, the predictability isn’t beneficial if the only method of anthrax prevention is to individually inject thousands of animals ranging freely over thousands of acres [11]
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