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Brucella
Abortus Vaccine, Strain RB-51 Receives Full Licensing
The USDA’s Center for Veterinary
Biologics has issued a full license to Colorado Serum Company
for the manufacture and distribution of Brucella Abortus
Vaccine, Strain RB-51, Live Culture.
For the past seven years, the vaccine (under
conditional license) has served as a significant factor in the
government’s 50-plus year effort to eradicate brucellosis
from the United States.
Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that
primarily affects cattle and bison and causes abortions and
lowered milk production.
As part of the cooperative State-Federal Brucellosis
Eradication Program, many states currently require each bovine
heifer calf (4-12 months old) to be vaccinated with RB-51.
Brucella Abortus, Strain RB-51 was
originally developed by Dr. Gerhardt Schurig of Virginia Tech,
replacing the older Strain 19 vaccine.
The advantage of RB-51 is that it produces immunity
while not inducing antibodies which react in standard
serological diagnostic tests (eliminating false-positives in
diagnosis of infected cattle), nor does it produce an
objectionable local reaction at the injection site.
The organism is cleared from the blood stream within 3
days, is not present in nasal secretions, saliva, or urine,
and does not spread from vaccinated to non-vaccinated cattle.
The issuance of full licensing by USDA
confirms satisfactory conclusion of safety, efficacy, and
potency studies that, in the case of RB-51, were completed
some years ago. Cooperative
evaluations were successfully completed by the FDA’s Centers
for Disease Control and USDA regarding required environmental
assessments.
Brucella Abortus Vaccine, Strain RB-51 has
been distributed under a conditional license by Professional
Biological Company (a marketing subsidiary of Colorado Serum
Company) since 1996. Distribution
of this product in the United States shall be for use by or
under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and the
distribution in each state shall be limited to authorized
recipients designated by proper state officials under such
additional conditions as these authorities may require.
For
further information about brucellosis:
www.aphis.usda.gov/vs
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