Use of Rhodamine B as a Biomarker in a Simulated Oral Vaccine Deployment against Bovine Tuberculosis in White-tailed Deer

Authors

David Dressel, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Kurt VerCauteren, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, ColoradoFollow
Michael Lavelle, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, ColoradoFollow
Nathan P. Snow, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, ColoradoFollow
Henry Campa III, Michigan State University

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2024

Citation

Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2024) 11: 1354772

doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1354772

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

Introduction Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in northeastern lower Michigan, United States are a self-sustaining reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Farm mitigation practices, baiting bans, and antlerless deer harvests have been ineffective in eliminating bTB in white-tailed deer and risks to cattle. The apparent prevalence has remained relatively constant in deer, prompting interest among wildlife researchers, managers, and veterinarians for an effective means of vaccinating deer against bTB. The commonly used human vaccine for bTB, Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), is the primary candidate with oral delivery being the logical means for vaccinating deer.

Materials and methods We developed vaccine delivery units and incorporated the biomarker Rhodamine B before delivering them to deer to assess the level of coverage achievable. Following deployment of Rhodamine B-laden vaccine delivery units on 17 agricultural study sites in Alpena County, Michigan in March and April 2016, we sampled deer to detect evidence of Rhodamine B consumption.

Results and discussion We collected a total of 116 deer and sampled them for vibrissae/rumen marking and found 66.3% (n = 77) of the deer collected exhibited evidence of vaccine delivery unit consumption. Understanding the level of coverage we achieved with oral delivery of a biomarker in vaccine delivery units to deer enables natural resource professionals to forecast expectations of a next step toward further minimizing bTB in deer.