|
How much is an E. coli vaccine worth to the industry?
Story Date: 3/26/2012
| |
Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 3/23/12
One of the promising approaches to reducing food-borne pathogens in the live animal is the use of vaccines. Vaccines have been shown to be effective for specific applications, such as the control of Salmonella Enteriditis in laying hens. Recently a vaccine was approved for use to control E. coli O157 in cattle – and the preliminary data is promising.
The product, which works by starving pathogens of iron, has been used in at least a dozen major research projects, including those conducted by Cargill, Tyson Foods and JBS USA. With an 85 percent reduction in the incidence of the pathogen in cattle that received the vaccine, and a 98 percent drop in E. coli cells in the vaccinated cattle that still tested positive, it holds quite a bit of promise.
Still, one big question remains: What will it take for such vaccines to reach critical mass? That’s the topic of an upcoming webinar, “Pre-harvest interventions: The cost-benefit ratio of E. coli vaccines,” scheduled for 1 p.m. CST Wednesday, April 4.
Our panel of operations experts will discuss the prospect of this next stage in the war against E. coli, from its impact on the beef industry to the efficacy of such a vaccine. Our panelists include:
Dr. Scott Hurd D.V.M., Ph.D, associate professor in the Veterinary Diagnostic & Production Animal Medicine Department at Iowa State University, who will analyze the potential impact of widespread vaccine adoption. The former deputy undersecretary for food safety with the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service specializes in risk assessment, antibiotic resistance and epidemiology.
Dr. Guy Loneragan, Ph. D., professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources at Texas Tech University, will discuss the impact of E. coli O157 and what the latest regulatory implications are. He'll also review vaccine efficacy data.
For more information and to register for the webinar, click here.
For more stories, go to http://www.meatingplace.com/.
|
|
|
|
