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Evaluation of antigens for vaccination against liver fluke in cattle and buffalo in Indonesia
Project ID
AS1/1990/049
Project Country
Commissioned Organisation
Monash University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Australia
Project Leader
Dr Andrew Milner
Phone:
820 0588
Fax:
867 8560
Project Budget
$1,097,023.00
Start Date
01/07/1992
Finish Date
30/06/1995
Extension Start Date
30/06/1995
Extension Finish Date
31/12/1997
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr John Copland
Overview Objectives
The Victorian Institute of Animal Science (VIAS) is developing a recombinant vaccine against Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke) infection in cattle and sheep and will be used to develop a suitable vaccine for F. gigantica - a closely related, tropical species of liver fluke affecting cattle and buffalo in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and Africa.
A vaccine with 80-90% efficacy should be sufficient to reduce fluke burdens in Indonesia to levels that have minimal effect on meat production and work output.
Project Background and Objectives
F. gigantica infection of cattle and buffalo - characterised by weight loss, anaemia, reduced productivity, and reduced reproductive performance - is the third most important livestock disease in Indonesia. Estimates of economic loss caused by fluke infection range from A$58m to A$200m annually.
The group at VIAS is using a multi-disciplinary approach to study liver fluke, with molecular biologists, protein chemists and parasitologists analysing, testing and cloning fluke antigens. They have identified two antigens - glutathione- S-transferase (GST) and an immunoglobulin cleaving (protease) enzyme (ICE) - that can significantly protect sheep against F. hepatica infection.
A third set of antigens - integral membrane proteins (IMPs) - are also effective in retarding fluke growth in sheep. The group has demonstrated that F. gigantica possesses similar GST and ICE antigens, and is situated to purify the F. gigantica homologues quickly before testing them in vaccine trials with cattle and buffalo in Indonesia.
Location
There are no project locations defined for this project.
