April 29 2019 09:25 AM

Sponsored content created and provided by Huvepharma Inc.

Study highlights success of SRP technology
As cases of Klebsiella mastitis have increased in dairy operations across the U.S., so have efforts to reduce the prevalence of this widespread environmental pathogen.

KLEBVax™ SRP®, the first vaccine licensed to prevent mastitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in dairy cattle, was commercialized in 2018. The vaccine features Siderophore Receptor and Porin (SRP) technology, a unique process that provides producers with another herd health tool to prevent disease and reduce antibiotic use.

“Production losses from Klebsiella mastitis, as well deaths or culling that result from severe infections, are a significant challenge for the dairy industry,” says Dr. Patrick Gorden, clinical professor of Vet Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University (ISU). “A different approach to controlling Klebsiella mastitis has been sorely needed.”

In an efficacy study conducted at the ISU Dairy in Ames, Iowa, the prevalence and incidence of Klebsiella mastitis was significantly reduced in Kleb-SRP vaccinated cows compared to placebo vaccinated controls.

According to Gorden, the Kleb-SRP vaccine reduced the prevalence of Klebsiella mastitis by 71 percent in the vaccinated half of the herd. The herd was selected for the trial due to an ongoing Klebsiella mastitis problem, which had persisted despite using multiple doses of E.coli core antigen annually.

Additionally, mastitis incidence, which accounts for recurring infections in a single dairy cow, was reduced by 76 percent. Milk production also increased in the Kleb-SRP vaccinated cows by two pounds per cow per day, and somatic cell count was reduced by 42 percent, compared to the half of the herd not receiving Kleb‐SRP vaccine.

Starving bacteria of needed nutrients

The Klebsiella vaccine is fundamentally different from other options because it utilizes SRP technology.

Nearly all bacteria, including Klebsiella, require iron for growth and survival in host animal tissues. When vaccinated with SRP, the host’s immune system is stimulated to make antibodies against the targeted siderophore receptors and porins, located in the outer wall of the bacteria.

SRP vaccine‐induced antibodies bind and block transfer of iron and nutrients through bacterial cell wall pores, starving bacteria of needed nutrients, specifically iron.

“SRP proteins have been successfully exploited as vaccine antigens to control disease caused by Salmonella Newport in the dairy industry for over a decade,” says Gordon. “Now, this same technology is available to help producers combat Klebsiella mastitis in commercial dairy herds.”

To learn more about Klebsiella mastitis and KLEBVax™ SRP®, visit https://www.agrilabs.com/products/klebvaxsrp.