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help Oregon’s agricultural economy. a different path through the intes- His research team is working with
One of these is a vaccine for Johne’s tines where the immune system sheep ranchers to evaluate a new
Disease which affects both sheep responds better,” says Bermudez. vaccine. It has already been used
and dairy herds. “We know how to do it. The concept successfully on a ranch in southwest
has been proven, and we have Oregon, and is now being tested on
Johne’s disease is a contagious, identified the antigens that produce a larger operation. “It will be inter-
chronic, and usually fatal infection the antibodies, but it is not ready for esting to see if the vaccine works on
caused by a resistant species of commercial use yet.” the second farm,” says Dr. Rockey.
bacteria belonging to the same “If so, it will open the door to a
family as tuberculosis. In the U.S. The Bermudez team has also created better understanding of vaccines
dairy industry alone, losses due to a vaccine for bovine tubercu- in sheep, and also provide infor-
Johne’s disease are estimated at $250 losis. Although this disease is not mation on protection against other
million annually. common in the U.S., it is a problem chlamydial diseases, including those
in other countries and OSU has in humans.”
Dr. Bermudez’s research team is obtained a patent to produce the
working on a vaccine for Johne’s vaccine commercially for sale Getting The Right Nutrients
disease. “The big problem with overseas.
Johne’s is that the offspring get When cows, sheep or horses don’t
infected very young by the mother’s Sheep Ranchers Provide A Testing get enough selenium (Se) in their
infected milk,” says Bermudez, “and Ground diet, it can contribute to a wide
young animals, like young humans, array of health problems including
don’t have a mature immune system Another professor, Dr. Dan Rockey, muscular dystrophy and abnormal
yet.” is working on improving a vaccine pregnancies. But selenium is a tricky
for Chlamydia abortus, a common nutrient for farmers to administer
The vaccine they have developed pathogen that causes spontaneous because it can be toxic even in small
can be given to the mothers, who abortions in ewes. “There are doses.
then develop an antibody that is commercial vaccines available, but
passed on to their babies through their utility is debatable, and some Research by Dr. Jean Hall has found
the milk. “The antibody binds to actually cause abortions,” says Dr. that fertilizing livestock hay with
the Johne’s bacteria and directs it on Rockey. selenium is a good way to prevent
Se-deficiency without causing
toxicity.
She has also collaborated with Dr.
Charles Estill, and others to demon-
strate that feeding recently-weaned
calves selenium-fertilized forage for
seven weeks increased their body
weight, whole-blood concentration,
and general good health.
Professor Jean Hall supervises a student
on her research team. They have shown
that ferilizing hay with selenium improves
animal health.
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