This is the Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVD) that can cause abortions, immunosuppression, and the birth of weak and low-weight calves, generating significant economic losses for bovine producers.
During the year 2022, the Agricultural and Livestock Service recorded that 52.5% of the complaints associated with Bovine Abortive Syndrome (which is fetal death and expulsion between 42 and 260 days of gestation), had a positive diagnosis for the Diarrhea Virus. Bovine Viral, which were focused on south-central Chile.
«This virus generates significant economic losses for bovine producers, since both productive parameters and a drop in milk production are affected; but mainly the reproductive ones, due to abortions and the birth of weak calves, with malformations and very low weight,” comments the national director of the SAG, José Guajardo Reyes.
The authority and veterinary doctor also explained that: “In Chile, the virus was isolated for the first time in 1985 from calves that suffered from mucosal disease and is classified as an endemic disease in the country.”
For this reason, a group of researchers from the University of Concepción has been working since 2017 on the development of a prototype of a multivalent vaccine against Bovine Viral Diarrhea. The prototype; financed by the National Research and Development Agency of Chile through a FONDEF; It was built from recombinant technology and was designed to be multivalent, that is, it incorporates several subgenotypes of the bovine viral diarrhea virus.
“This characteristic indicates that the formulation has a broad spectrum of protection that can be projected not only at the national level, but also at the Latin American level,” says Ignacio Cabezas, project researcher, veterinarian and PhD in molecular biotechnology.
Promising results
From the study house they point out that the immunization trials carried out in cattle so far have been successful. “It has been noted that the vaccine stimulates an early defense response both through antibodies and cells,” Cabezas commented.
In addition, it was demonstrated that it generates seroneutralization in vitro (a laboratory process that involves the ability of certain antibodies to neutralize or inhibit the action of a virus) at levels that suggest that this formulation produces protection against viral infection, a test that was carried out in collaboration with the SAG Lo Aguirre laboratory.
It is expected that this vaccine candidate will advance to the testing phase, following the regulations and protocols established by the Agricultural and Livestock Service so that it can subsequently be available at a low cost in the market for the benefit of the livestock sector.
Fuente: SAG
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2023-11-24 12:17:51
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