Louisiana's agriculture department says a vaccine developed by scientists at the LSU AgCenter is showing results in preventing a disease that costs U.S. cattle and dairy producers an estimated $300 million a year. The disease is "anaplasmosis," which is spread by ticks and destroys red blood cells in cattle.
The vaccine is a "killed" vaccine, which means it uses the dead disease organism to create immunity in cattle. It's the only "killed" vaccine available to prevent anaplasmosis. It's being marketed by University Products LLC, according to an agriculture department news release.
The vaccine can only be sold as "experimental'' because a U.S. Department of Agriculture license requires that it be manufactured in a USDA-approved facility. There is none in Louisiana, AgCenter veterinarian Gene Luther said.
The product currently is produced in a laboratory in Baton Rouge.
Although considered experimental, the vaccine is approved by the USDA for sale by in 15 states and Puerto Rico, Luther said.
Anaplasmosis occurs primarily in warm tropical and subtropical areas, according to the department. Once confined to the Gulf and West coasts, it has spread to other parts of the country with the distribution of cattle.
"It's probably in every state of the union," Luther said in the news release. "It has steadily moved north."
Clinical signs are severe and profound anemia, and the mortality rate escalates as animals become older and have a higher need for oxygen, Luther said. The greatest problems are with pregnant and nursing cows. PD
—From AP newswire
