VACCINES AGAINST HELMINTH INFECTIONS.
General Objectives
The aim is:
1) Development and delivery of vaccines against the parasites of livestock of high economic and/or public health importance specifically gastrointestinal nematodes, lungworms, liver fluke, and Echinococcus granulosus.
2) Characterisation of Protective Immune Responses to these parasites to inform vaccine delivery.
3) Knowledge exchange and training of scientists and veterinarians in participating developing countries in the characterisation of immune responses, vaccine technology and application.
4) Outreach to farming organisations and other stakeholder groups in both developed and developing participating countries with a view to paving the way for early adopters of new vaccine technology.
Role of the andalusian partner
1.- Coordination project training programme.
2.- Housed vaccine trials against F. hepatica in sheep.
3.- Pathological studies of fields vaccine trials against F. hepatica conducted by other partners.
Impact
Livestock production efficiency is impaired by worm infections which are ubiquitous in cattle, sheep and goats world-wide. These cause severely debilitating gastro-intestinal, respiratory or liver disorders, dependent on the infecting species. Control of these parasites relies almost exclusively on the use of drugs, a solution threatened by the global emergence of worm strains which are no longer affected by these chemicals. An alternative, greener and more sustainable approach is to control these infestations by vaccination, but, with one exception, there are no commercial vaccines available for any of these parasites.