INRA BCG Challenge

This project builds and extends on significant progress made over the last decade in the development of TB vaccines for cattle and addresses key policy requirements that arise from the short duration of immunity induced in cattle by BCG.

First, APHA will determine whether annual revaccination of cattle with BCG can maintain sufficient levels of protection over time. APHA will also test if re-vaccination with BCG results in re-sensitisation of vaccinated animals to the tuberculin skin test and whether the DIVA test can still be used in the face of a number of rounds of BCG vaccination and tuberculin skin testing. APHAwill also investigate whether novel vaccination regimes can be developed to improve and extend BCG-induced protection against M. bovis infection and whether the lead subunit vaccine candidates identified in SE3224 ‘Continuation of the development for vaccines against bovine TB in cattle’ can be used to boost and extend the duration of BCG-induced immunity without sensitising animals to the tuberculin skin test.

APHAs second main objective is to develop vaccines that do not sensitise cattle to the tuberculin test. This would allow the continuation of existing tuberculin skin test-based test and slaughter strategies alongside vaccination and is the approach to vaccine development favoured by stakeholders and the EU.

The expected outcomes of this project will be to optimise the way BCG vaccination should be applied in cattle, to improve its efficacy and to develop vaccines that, whilst effective, do not sensitise vaccinated animals to the tuberculin skin test.

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