title: Vaccination with BM86, subolesin and akirin protective antigens for the control of tick infestations in white tailed deer and red deer.
abstract: Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are hosts for different tick species and tick-borne pathogens and play a role in tick dispersal and maintenance in some regions. These factors stress the importance of controlling tick infestations in deer and several methods such as culling and acaricide treatment have been used. Tick vaccines are a cost-effective alternative for tick control that reduced cattle tick infestations and tick-borne pathogens prevalence while reducing the use of acaricides. Our hypothesis is that vaccination with vector protective antigens can be used for the control of tick infestations in deer. Herein, three experiments were conducted to characterize (1) the antibody response in red deer immunized with recombinant BM86, the antigen included in commercial tick vaccines, (2) the antibody response and control of cattle tick infestations in white-tailed deer immunized with recombinant BM86 or tick subolesin (SUB) and experimentally infested with Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, and (3) the antibody response and control of Hyalomma spp. and Rhipicephalus spp. field tick infestations in red deer immunized with mosquito akirin (AKR), the SUB ortholog and candidate protective antigen against different tick species and other ectoparasites. The results showed that deer produced an antibody response that correlated with the reduction in tick infestations and was similar to other hosts vaccinated previously with these antigens. The overall vaccine efficacy was similar between BM86 (E=76%) and SUB (E=83%) for the control of R. microplus infestations in white-tailed deer. The field trial in red deer showed a 25-33% (18-40% when only infested deer were considered) reduction in tick infestations, 14-20 weeks after the first immunization. These results demonstrated that vaccination with vector protective antigens could be used as an alternative method for the control of tick infestations in deer to reduce tick populations and dispersal in regions where deer are relevant hosts for these ectoparasites.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Avenida División del Golfo 356, Col. Libertad, 87019 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carreón
authors.forename: José M Pérez
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de la Lastra
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Almazán
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canales
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Fons
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boadella
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cid
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villar
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gortázar
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reglero
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villarreal
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D003670:Deer; D005260:Female; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D018884:Ixodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; C085065:BM86 protein, Boophilus; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014612:Vaccines; C550207:subolesin, tick