title: Autovaccination confers protection against Devriesea agamarum associated septicemia but not dermatitis in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).
abstract: Devrieseasis caused by Devriesea agamarum is a highly prevalent disease in captive desert lizards, resulting in severe dermatitis and in some cases mass mortality. In this study, we assessed the contribution of autovaccination to devrieseasis control by evaluating the capacity of 5 different formalin-inactivated D. agamarum vaccines to induce a humoral immune response in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Each vaccine contained one of the following adjuvants: CpG, incomplete Freund's, Ribi, aluminium hydroxide, or curdlan. Lizards were administrated one of the vaccines through subcutaneous injection and booster vaccination was given 3 weeks after primo-vaccination. An indirect ELISA was developed and used to monitor lizard serological responses. Localized adverse effects following subcutaneous immunization were observed in all but the Ribi adjuvanted vaccine group. Following homologous experimental challenge, the incomplete Freund's as well as the Ribi vaccine were observed to confer protection in bearded dragons against the development of D. agamarum associated septicemia but not against dermatitis. Subsequently, two-dimensional gelelectrophoresis followed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry was conducted with serum obtained from 3 lizards that showed seroconversion after immunisation with the Ribi vaccine. Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and aldo-keto reductase of D. agamarum reacted with serum from the latter lizards. Based on the demonstrated seroconversion and partial protection against D. agamarum associated disease following the use of formalin-inactivated vaccines as well as the identification of target antigens in Ribi vaccinated bearded dragons, this study provides promising information towards the development of a vaccination strategy to control devrieseasis in captive lizard collections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hellebuyck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Steendam
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deforce
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blooi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwerburgh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bullaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ducatelle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martel
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000818:Animals; D054991:Autovaccines; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000662:veterinary; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008116:Lizards / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D054991:Autovaccines