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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #332437
Title: Vaccination of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for protection against bovine tuberculosis

Author
item Palmer, Mitchell
item Waters, Wade
item Thacker, Tyler
item ROBBE-AUSTERMAN, SUELEE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item DRESSEL, DAVID - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), National Wildlife Center
item VERCAUTEREN, KURT - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), National Wildlife Center
item LAVELLE, MICHAEL - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), National Wildlife Center
item CAMPA, HENRY - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), National Wildlife Center
item NOL, PAULINE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), National Wildlife Center

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2016
Publication Date: 5/25/2016
Citation: Palmer, M.V., Waters, W.R., Thacker, T.C., Robbe-Austerman, S., Dressel, D., Vercauteren, K., Lavelle, M., Campa, H., Nol, P. 2016. Vaccination of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for protection against bovine tuberculosis. Meeting Abstract. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.06.056 1(1):200.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis and other related species in the M. tuberculosis complex, pose a serious continual threat to the health and economic wellbeing of wildlife, livestock, and humans worldwide. Wildlife reservoirs of bTB play a very important role in the epidemiology of this disease in many countries. In the US, a free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; WTD) population located in northeastern Michigan serves as such a reservoir. Implementation of an oral vaccination program, that would effectively reduce disease and shedding of M. bovis by deer, would significantly aid efforts in eradicating bTB from Michigan, USA. We report here that oral BCG appears to be effective in reducing disease progression based on multiple controlled studies. Baits, also described as vaccine delivery units (VDU), were prepared and tested for palatability and acceptance in a large outdoor enclosed area in Wisconsin. VDUs composed of alfalfa, molasses and apple flavoring had the highest consumption rate by deer and the lowest consumption by non-target species. Over 33% of deer using test sites consumed VDUs based on rhodamine B observed in carcasses while vibrissae analysis for rhodamine suggested a 70% consumption rate.