Auxotrophic, plasmid-cured Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium for use as a live vaccine in calves

The Case for Live Attenuated Vaccines against the Neglected Zoonotic Diseases Brucellosis and Bovine Tuberculosis

Vaccination of humans and animals with live attenuated organisms has proven to be an effective means of combatting some important infectious diseases. In fact, the 20th century witnessed tremendous improvements in human and animal health worldwide as a consequence of large-scale vaccination programs with live attenuated vaccines (LAVs). Here, we use the neglected zoonotic diseases brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis (BTb) caused by Brucella spp. and Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), respectively, as comparative models to outline the merits of LAV platforms with emphasis on molecular strategies that have been pursued to generate LAVs with enhanced vaccine safety and efficacy profiles. Finally, we discuss the prospects of LAV platforms in the fight against brucellosis and BTb and outline new avenues for future research towards developing effective vaccines using LAV platforms.

Plague Vaccines: Status and Future

Three major plague pandemics caused by the gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis have killed nearly 200 million people in human history. Due to its extreme virulence and the ease of its transmission, Y. pestis has been used purposefully for biowarfare in the past. Currently, plague epidemics are still breaking out sporadically in most of parts of the world, including the United States. Approximately 2000 cases of plague are reported each year to the World Health Organization. However, the potential use of the bacteria in modern times as an agent of bioterrorism and the emergence of a Y. pestis strain resistant to eight antibiotics bring out severe public health concerns. Therefore, prophylactic vaccination against this disease holds the brightest prospect for its long-term prevention. Here, we summarize the progress of the current vaccine development for counteracting plague.

Vaccination of pregnant ewes against infection withSalmonellaBrandenburg

AIMS

To develop a challenge model for Salmonella Brandenburg infection in pregnant ewes. To compare efficacies of a live attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium mutant, a subunit preparation from a virulent S. Brandenburg isolate, and a commercial multivalent inactivated vaccine in their ability to prevent experimental S. Brandenburg infection. To assess the efficacy of the live attenuated S. Typhimurium mutant against natural S. Brandenburg infection in lambs.

METHODS

Two-year-old ewes were immunised with either a live attenuated vaccine (eye-drop; n=20), a subunit vaccine (n=20) or an inactivated bacterin vaccine (n=20), both administered subcutaneously, or served as unvaccinated controls (n=21). Four weeks later, the sensitising regime was repeated as a booster vaccination, and the ewes were challenged 6 weeks later with a virulent S. Brandenburg isolate, approximately 6 weeks prior to lambing. The presence of clinical signs, abortion or death was noted following challenge. The presence and number of Salmonella spp in faecal samples taken throughout the trial, and in organs collected post mortem, were determined using an enrichment selection procedure, and confirmed by serology and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Half of the surviving lambs were vaccinated with the live attenuated vaccine and all (n=39) were exposed to natural infection from contaminated pasture.

RESULTS

There was no significant protection against mortality and abortion following vaccination with the live attenuated, subunit and inactivated vaccines following experimental challenge with S. Brandenburg. There was a significant but transient decrease in the number of ewes shedding S. Brandenburg (live attenuated, p=0.05; subunit, p=0.05; inactivated, p=0.01), and in the quantity of these bacteria in the sheep from the vaccinated groups (p<0.05) compared with controls, 6 weeks after challenge. Lambs from the challenged ewes did not shed Salmonella spp after being vaccinated with the live attenuated vaccine, in contrast to some of the controls, when grazed on pasture contaminated with S. Brandenburg.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of live attenuated, subunit and inactivated vaccines did not significantly protect sheep against lethal experimental challenge with S. Brandenburg.