FMD VACCINE

Originally from: mona parr
                        
Success at Long Last: Development of a Safe Synthetic Vaccine for Foot-and Mouth Disease by United Biomedical, Inc. (UBI)

UBI Press Release, 9 December 2002

Scientists have been trying to develop a safe synthetic vaccine for Foot-and-Mouth disease for more than 20 years. Foot-and-Mouth Disease is an extremely infectious disease of cattle, sheep, and swine. Outbreaks have caused recent devastating losses in the U.K., Taiwan, and Argentina. The virus remains a constant threat throughout much of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America and the market for vaccines exceeds US$500 million. North America and other FMD-free regions fear both accidental introduction and intentional introduction through bioterrorism (<A HREF="http://www.land-care.org.uk/fmd/curr_topic/December02/11dec/#1">1</A>). Current vaccines are produced from killed viruses and present biohazard risks both in manufacture and use. Most attempts to produce a safer vaccine have focused on reproducing by chemical synthesis a small subunit of the virus that is responsible for evoking antibodies that inactivate the virus. However, up until now these efforts have resulted in synthetic vaccines that either were not protective in livestock, or that required doses too large to be economically feasible.

United Biomedical, Inc. (UBI) of Hauppauge NY, along with its subsidiary UBI Asia, has been working on this problem since 1997 with an in-house team headed by Dr. Chang Yi Wang, and international collaborators at the USDA Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the Animal Technology Institute Taiwan, the National Institute of Animal Health Taiwan, and commercial animal health companies. UBI has successfully developed a synthetic Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine for swine using its unique UBITh® synthetic peptide technology. The synthetic vaccine has been designed to confront a broad array of pandemic FMD viruses from serotype O and can be readily re-designed for potency against the other six serotypes of FMD virus. The UBI vaccine for FMD virus has protected over 200 swine from experimental infection during laboratory vaccine trials. UBI has recently reported on one of these studies in the journal Vaccine. In this publication, \x{201C}Effective synthetic peptide vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease in swine\x{201D} by CY Wang, TY Chang, AM Walfield, et al. (Vaccine, 2002; 20: 2603–2610) 20 out of 21 peptide-immunized pigs were protected from infection. The vaccine was effective at small doses in formulations that can be readily manufactured at low cost, comparable to those of the killed virus vaccines. Field and regional trials have recently been completed for the UBI FMD vaccine as part of the procedure to receive official registrations by national regulatory agencies. The company is now perfecting other formulations of its synthetic vaccine for potency and efficacy in cattle.

UBI expects that its synthetic FMD vaccine will encourage wider use of vaccination for control of FMD due to the vaccine\x{2019}s advantages: 1) as a completely safe chemically defined product and, 2) as a marker vaccine whose immunogenic footprint can be readily distinguished from the immune responses that result from FMD virus infection. The company also produces a series of synthetic-peptide based diagnostic tests for FMD that work particularly well as a system together with its vaccines. The UBI diagnostic kits detect infected animals and distinguish them from vaccinated animals. An unprecedented relaxation of the guidelines that restrict the export of vaccinated animals was issued by the Office International des Epizooties earlier this year, in response to the new technical developments in FMD control. The new rules are expected to result in more widespread use of FMD vaccines and diagnostics. The UBI peptide-based vaccine/diagnostic system will be particularly attractive to FMD-free countries for defensive serosurveillance and for contingency plans for emergency vaccination in the event of an outbreak.

Contact: Ms. Francine Volz

Originally from: Bill
                        
What a load of crap. Foot and Mouth Disease is contagious, not infectious, look it up in the bloody dictionary!! There are over 200 sub-serotypes. They tested 21 pigs and 20 were so-called protected, what about the one that got away? You only need one to start an epidemic. Don't buy this crap!!!

Bill.
                        

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Well ........I wouldn't be so quick to condemn the reported success at UBI!

For those of us who have tried to learn all we can since February 2001 concerning the virus and protective vaccines, among the facts that came to light and have been reported both on this message board, the Farmtalking website and elsewhere, is the fact that no vaccine is 100% effective!

We have learned that if 85% of a population is vaccinated that should be sufficient to give protection and prevent an epidemic.

Dr. Ruth Watkins, the virologist, explained early in 2001, that the FMD vaccine available at that time was one of the most efficacious vaccines in the world, better than many human vaccines and she reiterated this at the Heart of Cumbria meeting at Penrith Rugby Club in July 2001.

Dr. Watkins told us that for instance, polio had almost been erradicated from the world through a concerted effort by the World Health Organization, to ensure that a high enough percentage of the population was vaccinated. It was her firm belief that FMD could be arradicated in the same way with world-wide vaccination if everyone had the will to do it and co-operated!

If I remember correctly, the UK Govt was one of several testing the synthetic vaccine from UBI prior to the outbreak of FMD in the UK, (as part of the validation required), and if I'm not mistaken, we were told that UBI had achieved success in the lab with the 20/1 pigs at that time and further validation was now required and other countries were assisting with this, including ourselves. Several people thought if we had used the synthetic vaccine during the early part of 2001 it might not only have validated it's efficacy rather rapidly but perhaps would have brought an equally rapid end to our epidemic.

However, that is all water under the bridge, but for those who are interested a 'Search' on Farmtalking – http://www.farmtalking.com – might furnish some useful facts.

Meanwhile, any advance in the validation of a safe synthetic vaccine is surely to be welcomed.

All we need now is for our Govt to promise to use protective vaccination whether of the 'synthetic' or 'killed' variety, as a priority and forget about their cruel 'stamping out' policy.

Jane

Originally from: Bill
                        
Point taken Jane, perhaps my judgement was a little hasty and synthetic vaccine may have a role to play in FMD prevention, but there is no vaccine that will control an epidemic. With the greatest respect to Ruth Watkins she was one of the scientists who at that time still believed the immune system responded immediately.

All the best,
Bill.
                        

Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Yes Bill, but I rather think Ruth Watkins is probably on of the most knowledgeable when it comes to virology and vaccines.

I also believe it has long been known that the protection achieved by vaccination, whatever the virus, does not give immediate protection. One of the reasons one is advised not to allow a new puppy to mix with other dogs or be taken into public places for at least two weeks after it's final protective jabs and also why one is advised to obtain the necessary jabs a few weeks before embarking on journeys abroad to countries that call for such protective vaccination.

As with most things in nature, change is 'gradual' and rarely 'instant'.

Nevertheless, to vaccinate 85% of the population is understood to provide protection for the species vaccinated.

In the case of FMD, it may well remain in the wild-life, and much as is noticed with our rabbit population, the virus ebbs and flows around the country, some areas losing rabbits in their hundreds from time to time, while vaccinated pet rabbits in those areas where the virus is rife remain protected and healthy.

I can believe it possible that eradication of a disease in such a way could occur over time. Some of the wildlife contracting the virus will die while others will recover and have immunity, passing some of that immunity to their offspring. If such animals are 'challenged' by the virus some will will not contract the virus and thus not allow it's replication while others may manage fight it off to recover. It is therefore surely possible that the virus, eventually, finding no suitable host, will in fact, in time, die out!