Veterinary Tuberculosis Vaccine Development

Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in domestic livestock and wildlife is a significant problem in many countries worldwide. Wildlife reservoirs of tuberculosis confound programs for tuberculosis eradication from domestic livestock. Successful vaccination against tuberculosis in domestic animals or wildlife could contribute to tuberculosis eradication. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been used as the prototype vaccine for domestic livestock and wildlife. The majority of studies have been carried out with BCG-vaccinated animals challenged experimentally with M. bovis. Although protection against disease has been evident in all these studies, protection against infection has rarely occurred. Results obtained with BCG vaccination of cattle, deer, ferrets, opossums, and rabbits are presented here and highlight the need for appropriate animal models for vaccination and control of the variables that influence the efficacy of BCG vaccine. Refinement of the existing animal models is essential for the advancement of tuberculosis vaccine research of relevance to animals and humans.