Award details

Combined use of novel diagnostic tools and strategic vaccination to control bovine brucellosis in endemic areas

Reference	BB/L004836/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Javier Guitian
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Jonathan Rushton
Institution	Royal Veterinary College
Department	Clinical Sciences and Services
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	282,246
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	30/09/2014
End date	31/03/2018
Duration	42 months

Abstract

Brucellosis imposes a vast burden on livelihoods as a result of human disease and impaired livestock productivity. Studies carried out by Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University have found seroprevalences of human brucellosis higher than 20% in selected populations in Punjab and show the need for integrated control of the disease. Control of ruminant brucellosis has been achieved with different degrees of success by applying a range of diagnostic and prophylactic tools. Researchers from The Royal Veterinary College have shown the potential impact of sustained and strategic use of existing vaccines in endemic settings and how critical it is to adapt the strategy to the level of infection and extent of animal movement. A limiting factor of vaccine-based control programs is the inability of standard diagnostic tools to differentiate between antibodies acquired as a result of natural infection or vaccination. In the proposed research we combine a detailed epidemiological study of bovine brucellosis in Punjab-including validation of novel diagnostic techniques with simulation modelling to generate evidence based on which sustainable control programs for bovine brucellosis could be designed. We will also assess incidence of human infection and economic impact of the disease through animal health economics and transactional cost economics. The results of the field studies will be used to parameterize disease transmission models and to simulate, in silico, the potential impact of different types of vaccination strategies on prevalence reduction. Field studies will also be used to evaluate conventional and novel diagnostics. Specifically, we will study a novel diagnostic strategy using assays measuring response to rLPS antigen. Overall, our work will provide evidence to inform the design and implementation of realistic and sustainable strategies for the reduction of the prevalence of bovine brucellosis and, as a result, human brucellosis, in endemic areas.

Summary

Brucellosis is an infectious disease of animals that also affects people (a zoonosis). It is one of the most common zoonoses worldwide and it imposes a vast burden on livelihoods as a result of human disease and impaired livestock productivity as infected animals can experience infertility, abortions and low milk yield. However, brucellosis is rarely prioritized by health systems and as a result the World Health Organization (WHO) includes it as one of its seven neglected endemic zoonoses. Although Great Britain is free from Brucellosis a constant effort is needed to ensure that cattle and sheep remain free from the disease and to be able to detect it as soon as possible in the event of its introduction. More than a million tests per year are conducted for that purpose in GB. In India brucellosis is endemic and recent reports suggest its incidence may be increasing. In this project UK-based and India-based scientists will work together in an area (Punjab) where Brucellosis is endemic among cattle and buffalo. Control of ruminant brucellosis has been achieved with different degrees of success in several settings by applying a range of diagnostic and vaccines. Previous work carried out by the research team suggests that control programs based on targeted, strategic vaccination of some groups of animals may be a cost-effective way of significantly reducing the prevalence in endemic areas wen resources are limited and animal movement between infected and non-infected herds cannot be fully avoided. However, although vaccines are effective at protecting animals from infection and reducing the prevalence of disease in the long term, an important problem of the use of vaccination is the inability to differentiate between truly infected and vaccinated animals with conventional diagnostic tests. In this project our aim is to carry out a detailed study of the epidemiology of brucellosis in bovines and humans in Punjab, including the use of novel diagnostic tests that can differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals. We will use the results to create computer models that we could use to simulate the effect of a control strategy that incorporates the use of these tests. The project will also study the economic impact of the infection, so that we can propose to the veterinary and public health services a control strategy that is realistic and truly benefits local livestock keepers and the population as a whole. The lessons that we will learn with regard to the laboratory testing of infected animals may eventually benefit countries that are free from the disease, such as GB, but have to spend considerable resources in testing animals to ensure that they remain free from infection.

Impact Summary

Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide, imposing a vast burden on livelihoods as a result of human disease and impaired livestock productivity. Brucellosis is endemic in India and its incidence may be increasing. Some estimates suggest that in Punjab 10% of the bovines are seropositive and that among selected populations the seroprevalence of human brucellosis is higher than 20%. We propose to address brucellosis control from a holistic perspective, bringing together complementary teams of researchers with expertise in epidemiology, diagnosis and control of the infection in animals and humans as well as economists. By approaching the problem from such a multidisciplinary perspective we expect to be able to propose a program for the control bovine brucellosis in Punjab that is suitable, sustainable and cost-effective. The main potential beneficiaries of our research are local livestock keepers and the local population as a whole - as consumers of livestock products. They will directly or indirectly benefit from increased livestock productivity and herd performance as well as safer locally-produced dairy products and reduced infection risk. To ensure that our outcomes benefit all livestock keepers, our project does not only focus on commercially-oriented producers; in addition to commercially-oriented producers we also consider, explicitly, small-scale household production. State veterinary services, animal health and public health policy makers in India will be involved in the project and will benefit from its results. The project will provide sound evidence on which multi-sectoral control programs for bovine brucellosis could be based. This will benefit the way in which this and other livestock diseases that pose similar challenges are controlled and will promote science-based policy formulation for the control of livestock diseases. The preparatory work to the FADH call identified the need to build capacity in veterinary epidemiology inIndia. The proposed research will link Indian partners with leading institutions in research and teaching in veterinary epidemiology (RVC), medical epidemiology and public health worldwide (LSHTM). In relation to Veterinary Epidemiology, the RVC has recently been designated a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Reference Centre in Veterinary Epidemiology; currently one of only two such centres in the world. GADVASU will also benefit from expertise in state-of-the-art brucellosis diagnosis from another world reference centre (AHVLA - OIE/FAO/WHO Reference & Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis). The collaboration will benefit UK-based partners by strengthening their position as leading institutions in international programs for the control of diseases affecting the sustainable production of safe food worldwide. In the UK, the project will contribute to the maintenance of the highest levels of brucellosis diagnostic capacity, which is an essential component of current surveillance activities to ensure freedom of disease and allow early detection in the event of introduction. A member of the research team (McGiven) is leading Defra-funded work to improve diagnosis of brucellosis; the insights with respect to the performance of novel tests that can be gained from large field studies in an endemic setting such as Punjab can result in improve diagnostic testing in Great Britain, where each year more than 1 million brucellosis serological tests are performed. The collaboration of veterinary and medical institutions with involvement of two leading public health institutions in the UK (LSHTM) and India (PGMIER) will promote trans-disciplinary collaboration much needed for the success of control programs targeting diseases such as brucellosis that require integrated, multi-sectoral control programs. Such trans-disciplinary collaboration will be fully aligned with the current one-health agenda supported by major national and international agencies.

Committee	Research Committee A (Animal disease, health and welfare)
Research Topics	Animal Health, Immunology, Systems Biology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Farmed Animal Disease and Health (FADH) [2013]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

Associated awards:

BB/L004895/1 Combined use of novel diagnostoc tools and strategic vaccination to control bovin brucellosis in endemic areas

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