Vaccine To Protect Cattle From Ticks

OMAHA (DTN) -- Researchers at the University of Missouri are working on the first-ever vaccine proven to protect cattle from the tick-borne disease bovine anaplasmosis, according to a recent press release.

Bovine anaplasmosis, which is common in Missouri, infects the red blood cells of cattle and causes hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses nationwide each year. The research is important to the state's economy as it aims to protect Missouri's $1.6 billion cattle industry.

In addition, nearly $1 billion in losses worldwide are seen from the disease, primarily because of reduced cattle production, treatment costs and deaths.

Roman Ganta, a professor from the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine, led the study that created the new vaccine. The work involved genetically modifying in a lab the pathogen Anaplasma marginale, which causes bovine anaplasmosis. By deleting a specific gene and then injecting the pathogen into cattle, the vaccinated cattle were successfully immunized against the disease.

"I often receive calls from cattle producers who are excited about our research and want to know how soon they can get the vaccine," Ganta said. "There is currently no effective, widely available, vaccine for the disease, and cattle farmers are very worried about the disease harming or killing their cattle. We want to help farmers in Missouri and around the world and are working hard to come up with a viable situation."

Ganta said the new vaccine has been proven to give immunized cattle protection against bovine anaplasmosis for at least a month, and he and his team are eager to conduct additional research to determine how long the genetically modified pathogen can provide immunity for cattle. Ganta is also collaborating with industry partners to discuss future distribution of the new vaccine, which has been patented, to cattle producers.

Ganta has been researching molecular genetics and vector-borne diseases for more than 30 years. He was hired by the Mizzou in 2023.

Throughout his career, Ganta has published more than 100 studies in peer-reviewed journals and earned more than $22 million in grants from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, USDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, industry partners and foundations.

Working at a land-grant university, Ganta's research will ultimately help improve the health of cattle and the agricultural economy throughout Missouri, particularly in rural areas, according to the press release.

"Missouri is a hotbed for tick-borne diseases, and bovine anaplasmosis causes massive economic losses both here in Missouri and around the world," he said. "While effective, that medicine doesn't fully eliminate the infection, so this new vaccine is an innovative step forward to fully eliminate the infection."

Mizzou researchers have been on the frontlines of tick research in recent years.

A 2021 study found recent increases in both the number and severity of tick-borne diseases in the Midwest, particularly in the humid climates of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. A study in 2022 was the first to identify the invasive Asian longhorned tick in northern Missouri. In 2023, the university's Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory assisted livestock producers, who noticed various health issues in their cattle, by tracking down the cause of such signs in an effort to support Missouri's agriculture industry.

Russ Quinn can be reached at Russ.Quinn@dtn.com

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