Herdvac’s live attenuated vaccine technology platform allows for the selection of slow growing, appropriately attenuated strains as vaccine candidates. This technology was developed in the School of Veterinary Science at The University of Queensland by HerdVac’s Chief Scientist, Dr Tetsuo Mizuno.

Herdvac’s first product produced from its patented platform technology is a cattle salmonella vaccine. To date, this vaccine has demonstrated in trials to provide 100 per cent protection in calves from Salmonella dublin – a major Salmonella strain found in dairy herds in European countries, including the United Kingdom, the US and Australia. The ability of this vaccine to protect against other major Salmonella stains has also been investigated. Of particular interest is the cross-protection provided in studies in cattle against Salmonella typhimurium which is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in humans.  Outbreaks of this strain of S. typhimurium are a major problem in the United States of America, where the intensive feedlot production of beef creates a favorable environment for outbreaks of the bacteria. The infection can go undetected in the cattle and the organism can contaminate the carcass in the abattoir.  Studies showed that Herdvac’s vaccine significantly decreased the excretion of S.typhimurium into the environment.

As well as providing protection against S.dublin and cross-protection against S.typhimurium, it has also been show in recent studies that Herdvac’s vaccine also stimulates an immune response for Salmonella serovars that cause disease in pigs and poultry.  The vaccine is unique in that it stimulates mucosal immunity following parenteral injection.