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Vaccination against tuberculosis in badgers and cattle: an overview of the challenges, developments and current research priorities in Great Britain
Author(s) -
Chambers M. A.,
Carter S. P.,
Wilson G. J.,
Jones G.,
Brown E.,
Hewinson R. G.,
Vordermeier M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.102581
Subject(s) - bovine tuberculosis , vaccination , tuberculosis , incidence (geometry) , wildlife , medicine , environmental health , mycobacterium bovis , veterinary medicine , immunology , biology , ecology , mycobacterium tuberculosis , physics , pathology , optics
Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a significant threat to the cattle industry in England and Wales. It is widely acknowledged that a combination of measures targeting both cattle and wildlife will be required to eradicate bovine TB or reduce its prevalence until European official freedom status is achieved. Vaccination of cattle and/or badgers could contribute to bovine TB control in Great Britain, although there are significant gaps in our knowledge regarding the impact that vaccination would actually have on bovine TB incidence. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that vaccination with BCG can reduce the progression and severity of TB in both badgers and cattle. This is encouraging in terms of the prospect of a sustained vaccination programme achieving reductions in disease prevalence; however, developing vaccines for tackling the problem of bovine TB is challenging, time‐consuming and resource‐intensive, as this review article sets out to explain.