title: BCG vaccination against tuberculosis in European badgers (Meles meles): a review.
abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant animal health problem in many parts of the world, and reservoirs of infection in wild animals complicate disease control efforts in farmed livestock, particularly cattle. Badgers (Meles meles) are a significant wildlife reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis infection for cattle in the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (ROI). Vaccination of badgers using an M. bovis strain bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine could potentially be an option in the national TB eradication strategy. Wildlife vaccination has been used successfully for other diseases in wildlife species, and may have a role to play in reducing M. bovis transmission at the wildlife-livestock interface. Research to date has provided evidence that BCG is protective in badgers, and a parenteral badger BCG vaccine has been licensed in the UK. Further research is required to develop effective strategies for vaccine deployment and to determine the effect of badger vaccination on cattle TB incidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Dundonald House, Belfast BT4 3SB, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. p.a.robinson@durham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Leigh A L
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Corner
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Courcier
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNair
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artois
authors.forename: Fraser D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Menzies
authors.forename: Darrell A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Abernethy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D045969:Mustelidae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine