In a groundbreaking effort to combat a lasting bovine tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in wild deer, Michigan wildlife officials and federal biologists are currently testing a new vaccine aimed at reducing the disease’s impact. The northeastern Lower Peninsula hosts the only known persistent bovine TB infection in wild deer populations across the U.S., where infections can spill over to cattle and potentially humans, posing significant health risks, including a history of severe outbreaks.
The vaccine trial, featuring the widely used BCG vaccine, is the first of its kind for wild whitetail deer in North America. Researchers have tested innovative delivery methods, resulting in over 50% uptake of the vaccine by deer in preliminary studies. With bovine TB rates stubbornly holding at around 2%, biologists hope this novel approach could lead to sustained reductions in infection rates and ultimately contribute to eradicating the disease in wildlife.
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