'For over 20 years now, our vaccine based on A. marginale rather than A. centrale has remained the best, most cost-effective protection in this ongoing battle against bovine anaplasmosis' –Dr. Gene Luther, University Products LLC

BATON ROUGE, La., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- University Products LLC demonstrated the clinical importance of using a killed A. marginale vaccine, rather than the usual live A. centrale vaccine in the fight against annual bovine anaplasmosis infections – citing recent research published in Veterinary Parasitology. The study analyzed three tick-borne disease strains developed in Australia and imported into Paraguay for analysis – one of which causes anaplasmosis and was treated with a vaccine based on A. centrale. Researchers definitively concluded that: "The A. centrale [vaccine] strain did not prove to be as safe as would be desirable in safety trials, neither did it provide as good protection … an alternative to A. centrale should be sought to provide protection against local strains of A. marginale."

A series of similar studies undertaken in Zimbabwe, Paraguay, and Argentina came to the same conclusion – that A. centrale vaccines were ineffective at fighting A. marginale – and another recent study pointed to the dangers of using live A. centrale vaccines in general: "Because the A. centrale vaccine is blood-based, it is not approved in the United States or European Union due to the inherent risk of transmission of known or emerging blood-borne pathogens along with the vaccine, as previously demonstrated in a batch of vaccine contaminated with bovine leucosis virus…".

Of the studies and their ramifications, University Products vaccine developer Dr. Gene Luther said: "Most countries outside of the United States use an attenuated strain of A. centrale in a variety of vaccines to fight anaplasmosis. But we know that A. centrale is weaker. While A. marginale is highly pathogenic and relatively unaffected by these vaccines. Our killed vaccine is based on Anaplasma marginale and provides superior protection at a lower cost with fewer handling conditions. In addition, our manufacturing process can produce a purified antigen based on any sample strain of A. marginale from around the world.

"We really are gratified to see international researchers, companies and governments verifying what we have known for over two decades now," said Dr. Luther. "And it is the simple truth: most established treatment protocols for fighting bovine anaplasmosis have failed. Antibiotic treatments or live vaccines created with A. centrale are less effective, expensive, and hurt consumers. Using a killed A. marginale vaccine is the most effective weapon we have against this disease. We should be deploying our technology across the globe."

The University Products vaccine does not prevent infection, but when properly used, significantly reduces clinical signs in at-risk animals. The vaccine requires only two doses in the first year, with one annual booster each year thereafter and is safe to use in any stage of bovine pregnancy. A detailed description of the vaccine and its method of administration is publicly available for PDF download.

For more information on the University Products vaccine, with availability for farmers and producers, please instruct veterinarians to contact Dr. Luther directly by email at [email protected].

Media Contact:

Don Luther, Director
1-225-413-7203
[email protected]

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SOURCE University Products LLC