Immunoprotection in goats against Haemonchus contortus after immunization with cysteine protease enriched protein fractions.

Haemonchus cysteine proteases, because of their apparent critical function in worm physiology, are considered important candidates in the immunological control of haemonchosis in sheep. Only limited information is, however, available on the immunoprotective properties of these molecules in goats. In the present study cysteine proteases of Haemonchus contortus adult worms isolated from a goat strain (Gran Canaria, Spain) were enriched by affinity chromatography and evaluated as immunoprotective antigens against caprine haemonchosis.