Vaccine becomes available for costly beef-cattle disease
had gone on for decadeswithout success, until scientists eventually pinned trans- mission on the pajaroello tick, a species of soft tick commonly found in the Sierra Nevada and California coastal ranges. Later research identified the EBA patho- gen and how it is transmitted. Researchers also discovered that cattle exposed to the bacteria in their first year would develop immunity to subsequent infections for another two years without additional exposure to the pathogen. They used the newbacterial inoculum to sensitize cattle to the bacteria when they
were not pregnant, to see if that could serve as a potential source of immuniza- tion against the disease. The inoculum was used to create a vaccine. Test results showed 100% of vaccinated pregnant cattle produced live calves after being experimentally infected. Researchers are now investigating the potential of in-utero vaccination/protec- tion of the fetus with the EBA vaccine. If successful, they said, the work could pave theway fordevelopmentof futurevaccines aimed at producing calves bornwith pro- tectionagainst cattle pathogens.
Anewvaccine for cattle isnowavailable to ranchers to fight against foothill abor- tion disease, which has caused losses in ranch cattle exceeding $10 million a year inCalifornia, Oregon andNevada. Approvedthis fallbytheU.S.Department of Agriculture, the vaccinemarks advance- ment inloweringcalf lossesduetoEpizootic Bovine Abortion, university researchers said, and comes as a result of decades of workby scientists andcattle ranchers. The University of California, Davis, and the University of Nevada, Reno, developed the vaccine, which was commercialized by Hygieia Biological Laboratories of Woodland. First described by UC Davis scientists in the 1950s in thewestern foothills of the Sierra Nevada, EBA affects pregnant cat- tle and can be responsible for losses of up to 100% of the year’s calf crop in sus- ceptible herds. Vaccine trials were conducted for a de- cade to establish the safety and efficacy of the product, now available through live- stock veterinarians. The USDA Center for VeterinaryBiologics issuedtheconditional license for the vaccine after two years of trials of theHygieia product. “The vaccine has proven safe and phe- nomenallyeffective; the fervor for itswide- spreadavailability ispalpableamongcattle producers,” saidUCDavisprofessor Jeffrey Stott, who began working on the disease in 1985. Mark Lacey, president of the California Cattlemen’sAssociation, expressedexcite- ment about the newvaccine. USDA approves biological control for invasive weed A biological-control program for inva- sive knotweed species can begin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it would begin is- suing permits for release of an insect, the Japaneseknotweedpsyllid, thatcanmanage Japanese, giant andbohemianknotweeds. “After careful analysis, APHIShasdeter- mined that releasing Japanese knotweed psyllid within the continental United States is not likely tohave a significant im- pact on the environment,” theagency said Monday, adding that the knotweed-spe- cific psyllid “poses no risk to people or native wildlife.” Introduced into North America from Japan in the late 19th century, knotweeds havebecomeespeciallyproblematicalong streams and rivers, where they crowd out nativeplantsanddisrupt local ecosystems, APHIS said. The California Invasive Plant Council reportsahandful of knotweed infestations along the North Coast, primarily in Del Norte andHumboldt counties.
“The licensing and availability of this vaccine is monumental for the beef cat- tle industry,” he said. “For generations, producers have had to manage incred- ible losses from foothill abortion. ... I couldn’t be happier to say that we are finally here.”
Earlier research on the cause of EBA
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December 2, 2020 Ag Alert 11
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