Immunocontraception: Filamentous Bacteriophage as a Platform for Vaccine Development.

Background: Population control of domestic, wild, invasive, and captive animal species is a global issue of importance to public health, animal welfare and the economy. There is pressing need for effective, safe, and inexpensive contraceptive technologies to address this problem. Contraceptive vaccines, designed to stimulate the immune system in order to block critical reproductive events and suppress fertility, may provide a solution.

Impact of a killed Tritrichomonas foetus vaccine on clearance of the organism and subsequent fertility of heifers following experimental inoculation.

Tritrichomonas foetus is a sexually transmitted reproductive pathogen of cattle that causes transient infertility, early embryonic death, metritis, pyometra, and sporadic abortions. The objective of this research was to assess the impact on reproductive health of vaccinating naïve heifers with a killed T. foetus vaccine (TrichGuard) before experimental exposure followed by breeding.

Experimental infection of cats (Felis catus) with Tritrichomonas foetus isolated from cattle.

Tritrichomonas foetus is recognized as the causative agent of venereal trichomoniasis in cattle. It is characterized by embryonic and early fetal death and post-coital pyometra, and feline trichomoniasis, manifest as chronic, large bowel diarrhea. Many of the infected cats are less than 2 years old and specific routes of transmission remain unknown.

Prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in domestic felines in the United States.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is among the more common tick-borne disease agents in the United States. It is of veterinary and public health significance as dogs, cats, and human beings are known to be susceptible. A.

Neospora caninum: adoptive transfer of immune lymphocytes precipitates disease in BALB/c mice.

Neospora caninum is a recently described apicomplexan parasite first isolated from a dog in 1988 and has subsequently been shown to infect a wide range of mammals. In mice, Neospora can cause primary pneumonia, myositis, encephalitis, radiculoneuritis, and pancreatitis. Whereas, certain aspects of the host immune response to Toxoplasma gondii have been well studied, not as much is known about the full immune response to Neospora.

Use of imidacloprid-permethrin to prevent transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from naturally infected Ixodes scapularis ticks to dogs.

One group of eight beagles was treated with a combination of imidacloprid and permethrin 7 days before exposure to Ixodes scapularis ticks that were naturally infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. A second group of eight beagles was not treated and was also exposed to infected ticks. Seven of eight non-treated dogs--but none of the treated dogs--developed specific antibodies to A.

Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in captive and free-ranging nondomestic felids in the United States.

Seven serum samples of 101 samples from nondomestic, captive and free-ranging felids from the United States were indirect fluorescent antibody positive for antibodies to Neospora caninum, whereas 44 samples were positive for antibodies to T. gondii. Although none of the captive animals displayed clinical signs of disease, nondomestic felids in the United States have been exposed to, and are likely infected with, N.