Acellular vaccines for ovine brucellosis: a safer alternative against a worldwide disease

Abstract

Ovine brucellosis is a very contagious zoonotic disease distributed worldwide and constitutes a very important zoosanitary and economic problem. The control of the disease includes animal vaccination and slaughter of infected flocks. However, the commercially available vaccine in most countries is based on the attenuated strain Brucella melitensis Rev 1, which presents important safety drawbacks. This review is focused on the most recent and promising acellular vaccine proposals.

Keywords::

• acellular vaccine
• adjuvant
• brucellosis
• microparticle
• mucosal vaccination
• nanoparticle

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/41703/2007) in Portugal, the Asociación de Amigos de la Universidad de Navarra, the Fundación Caja Navarra (Nanotecnología y Medicamentos, ref. 10828) Picasso grant n° 17121NG and HF2007-0061, and by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL2004-07088) in Spain. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.