P.PSH.0767 - Live Salmonella typhimurium Vaccine Development

Summary

This project aimed to trial and register a live salmonellosis vaccine for registration in Australia. The initial focus of the project (phase 1 & 2) was based on the trials and registration for a vaccine for live export sheep, followed by follow on trials in cattle for use in beef and dairy calves as well as in feedlot cattle as an aid in the prevention of salmonellosis and to reduce the faecal shedding of salmonella.

The vaccine was initially developed by Michael Mahan's group at the University of California (UC). MLA's live export research funds capitalised on UC's research and funded R&D to improve the vaccine's safety and test efficacy, enabling a commercial company to express interest in licensing and investing in this project for further trials, towards developing a salmonella vaccine for originally, the live export industry.

Objectives

The overarching goal of this project was to develop a salmonellosis vaccine for registration and commercialisation in Australia to prevent disease in commercial livestock production systems. The desired outcomes of this project were as follows:
- preparation of a full vaccine seed set, from the current pre-masterseed
- preparation of antigen and trial vaccine for use in sheep and cattle trials
- successful completion of both sheep and cattle trial work.

Key findings

Initial sheep trials are showing very positive results, however more testing required due to the GMO status of the biological material.

Benefits to industry

As this project was terminated before the objectives were achieved, only some of the objectives listed above were delivered. Due to the termination of the project, vaccine trials were not run to completion and a vaccine has not been registered in Australia.

MLA action

To attempt to find another commercial partner.

Future research

To undertake final safety testing to persue registration of a vaccine for the intensive sheep industry.