AVMA News: Lyme disease bacteria vaccine approved
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted a conditional license for an oral vaccine against the wildlife spread of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The bacterium is the number one vector-borne disease in the U.S., according to a story from AVMA News.
A worm-like, spiral-shaped bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi is carried and transmitted primarily by the blacklegged tick known as the deer tick. The tick is infected primarily by feeding on small wildlife mammals, particularly white-footed mice.
The vaccine from US Biologic Inc. is called Borrelia Burgdorferi Bacterin and it is spray-coated onto pellets that mice consume. The product, called LymeShield, includes a device or station that holds and applies the pellets, according to the company’s website.
US Biologic will provide the product in residential settings, on public lands, including parks, and in commercial areas, such as golf courses and other recreational facilities, according to a May 9 press release.
The company will work closely with federal and state health agencies and pest management professionals that service the areas most at risk for infection, as well as partners such as the Global Lyme Alliance and the Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
The geographic distribution of infected ticks has expanded because of bird migration, suburban sprawl and climate changes, according to 2018 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) consensus update on Lyme borreliosis in dogs and cats.
Field trials demonstrating real-world impact have been conducted and co-published by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, the University of Pennsylvania, and others.
“Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases present a tremendous public healthcare challenge,” said Scott Williams, PhD, chief scientist and department head at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, whose field trials showed the positive impact of the vaccine in residential settings in Redding, Connecticut. “We need to continue to support efforts to innovate and provide these types of new tools.”
Ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi feed on humans, pets, and other animals transmitting Borrelia, which causes Lyme disease, experienced as severe damage to joints, neurologic systems, and the heart. The CDC estimates that 476,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with and treated for Lyme disease annually.
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