FFAR, Medgene fund vaccine research against screwworm

USA – The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and animal health company Medgene are investing US$499,996 to develop and test a vaccine against New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that can cause severe, potentially fatal tissue damage in cattle and other animals.

The project, funded through FFAR’s Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) programme, aims to develop another tool for protecting livestock from the parasite, which threatens animal health and the US cattle industry.

New World screwworm larvae feed on the living tissue of livestock, wildlife, pets and humans.

Female flies can lay up to 400 eggs at a single site, while the parasite’s life cycle can be completed in about 15 days, allowing infestations to spread rapidly without effective control.

FFAR estimates that the parasite threatens more than US$100 billion in US economic activity linked to the cattle and livestock industry.

Vaccine targets larval development

Led by Dr Casey Wright, Medgene’s bacteriology development manager, researchers are developing a vaccine that targets proteins New World screwworm larvae need to feed and develop.

The aim is to stimulate antibody production in vaccinated cattle, interfering with the larvae’s ability to feed on tissue and complete their life cycle.

Using Medgene’s vaccine production platform, the team is vaccinating cattle and assessing the vaccine’s safety and the animals’ immune responses. The findings will help determine whether the candidate should advance to field studies.

If successful, the vaccine could provide livestock producers with an additional means of protection, particularly in extensive production systems where animals are spread across large areas, and frequent monitoring and treatment can be difficult.

It would complement existing control measures, including sterile insect release programmes, rather than replace them.

Jasmine Bruno, PhD, scientific programme director for FFAR’s Cultivating Thriving Production Systems, said multiple tools were needed to protect cattle and other vulnerable livestock from the parasite.

“A vaccine could provide a critical additional layer of protection while complementing existing control efforts,” Bruno said.

Wright said the project would allow Medgene to apply its platform technology to an emerging threat facing the US livestock industry and support veterinarians working to control the parasite.

The research aligns with the US Department of Agriculture’s priority of protecting American agriculture from invasive species. 

FFAR’s ROAR programme provides rapid funding for research and outreach addressing emerging or unexpected threats to the US food supply and agricultural systems.

The vaccine remains under development, and further testing is needed to establish its safety and effectiveness before potential field use.

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