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Field Trials of non-GMO Rodent-Targeted Oral Bait Vaccine in Preventing Lyme Transmission

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and US Biologic, Inc. have published field trials showing the effectiveness of an orally-delivered antiLyme vaccine targeting the major wildlife source of Lyme disease. 

The field trials were conducted over three years in the residential area of Redding in the white-footed mouse.  The authors observed significant drops in the numbers of mice infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, and its infection in blacklegged ticks feeding on mice, when comparing homes where the vaccine was and was not applied. 

After one year of deployment, treated sites showed a 13 times greater decrease in infection compared to control sites, a 26% drop versus 2% drop. 

The vaccine is currently undergoing the USDA regulatory process for commercial licensure. 

Study co-author Dr Scott Wilson says fewer infected ticks mean less infection in the field overall so the decrease would be greater year-over-year that the vaccine is applied.  He adds that previously infected ticks will ingest antibodies when feeding on mice and be ‘cleared’ of infection.  According to Williams, when non-infected mice consume vaccine-coated pellets, they are protected from infection with the bacterium.  Non-infected ticks, therefore, cannot pass the disease to other animals, including humans. 

The journal article in the peer-reviewed publication, Experimental and Applied Acarology is titled "Field Evaluation of a Novel Oral Reservoir-Targeted Vaccine Against Borrelia burgdorferi Utilizing an Inactivated Whole-Cell Bacterial Antigen Expression Vehicle." 

329,000 U.S. citizens are estimated to contract Lyme disease each year, and, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the disease costs the U.S. between $50B-$100B.

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