Contraception of bison by GnRH vaccine: a possible means of decreasing transmission of brucellosis in bison.
Preventing pregnancy in brucellosis-infected bison (Bison bison) provides a potential means of preventing transmission of disease. To determine whether a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine was effective in reducing pregnancy in bison and to study the safety of injecting GnRH in pregnant bison, a study was conducted at the Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Health Laboratory in Caldwell, Idaho (USA). Four pregnant and two nonpregnant female bison were given a single injection of GnRH vaccine, and five pregnant adult females were given a sham injection that contained only adjuvant. Three of the GnRH-vaccinated bison that were pregnant at the time of vaccination delivered healthy calves. One treated bison had dystocia that resulted in a dead calf. All control bison delivered healthy calves. After calving, females of both groups were exposed to two bulls. Treated bison were palpated 6 wk after exposure to the bulls, and blood was drawn for pregnancy-specific protein B analysis. The six treated bison were not pregnant. The sham-treated bison became pregnant and delivered viable calves. This study demonstrates that a single dose of GnRH vaccine is effective in preventing pregnancy in female bison for at least 1 yr.
Miller
Lowell A
LA
US Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA. lowell.a.miller@usda.gov
Rhyan
Jack C
JC
Drew
Mark
M
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000382:microbiology; D016164:Bison / Q000502:physiology*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D003269:Contraception, Immunologic / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012449:Safety; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive / Q000494:pharmacology*
D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone