USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center

Collisions between wildlife and manmade equipment (e.g., vehicles, airplanes, windmills, etc.) are an ongoing problem that results in injury, loss of life (both human and wildlife), and property damage.  As an example, over 1 million deer-vehicle collisions occur each year on roads in the United States.  In addition to personal injury and death, these vehicular collisions with deer result in over $4 billion in damages annually.  Other common collisions involve birds colliding with airplanes, birds colliding with windmill blades, other animals (e.g., moose, caribou, bear, dogs) colliding with vehicles, etc. This invention is for a vehicle lighting system that research has demonstrated could lower deer-vehicle collisions by more than 80%.

Applications

• Incorporation of the lighting system as an OEM safety option
• Development of after market vehicle lighting systems, such as vehicle brush guards
• With additional research this system may be useful to reduce vehicle collisions with other wildlife species.

A vaccine adjuvant and immunogenic composition may be described herein. The vaccine adjuvant may comprise cell wall fragments of the genus Mycobacterium, and more particularly, of M avium. The immunogenic composition may include the vaccine adjuvant conjugated to an antigen.

Applications

• Cell wall fragments of M. avium (herein also referred to as MAF) may be conjugated to an antigen targeting Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH).
• The MAF-antigen conjugate may be delivered for the purposes of treatment through one of several methods, including intramuscular injection, naso-pharyngeal, or oral.

Adrenocortical disease (ACD) in ferrets develops as a result of increased concentration of Lutenizing Hormone (LH) on adrenal LH receptors.  This increase in LH often results from neutering of male or female ferrets. Neutered ferrets have no negative feedback of the ovarian or testicular hormone and as a result LH is elevated 3 to 10 times normal.  Elevates LH may be prevented and/or treated by injection of GnRH vaccine.  Administration of GnRH produces antibodies to endogenous GnRH. The GnRH-anti-GnRH immune-complex is ineffective in stimulating the release of LH and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in the anterior pituitary resulting drop in concentration of LH in the systemic circulation.  This reduction in LH significantly reduces the occurrence or clinical symptoms of ACD.

Applications

• ACD is the leading cause of death among European ferrets
• Treatment of ferrets with the GnRH provides long term relief from ACD for a period of a year or more.
• European ferrets are the third most common pet in the United States, numbering more than 300,000.

This invention relates to novel compositions, including immunocontraceptive vaccines, and particularly to novel adjuvants for use therein. Gonadotropin releasing hormone ("GnRH", also known as Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone, or "LHRH"), has long been recognized as being of central importance to the regulation of fertility in animals. In recent years, GnRH neutralization has been used as an effective means of contraception in a variety of animals. Traditionally, vaccines are prepared using a combination of an immunologically effective amount of an immunogen of interest together with an adjuvant effective for enhancing the immune response of the animal against the immunogen. This invention employs compositions of mineral oil with low concentrations of killed cells of Mycobacterium avium subspecies avium or Mycobacterium avium complex provide effective enhancement of immune responses and thus are effective for use as adjuvants. Moreover, this adjuvant provides enhanced immune responses which exhibit high, long-lasting antibody titers to the immunogen, even after administration of only a single dose of the vaccine. Therefore, the concentration of the killed cells of Mycobacterium avium are present in an amount effective for inducing immunocontraception of an animal in a single dose.

Applications

• The vaccine formulation is currently registered as a pesticide with the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for controlling fertility in pest species.
• The vaccine formulation is currently approved by the US EPA and many states for use in managing wild white-tailed deer and wild and feral horses and burros.  A registration is expected in fall 2021 for managing fertility in prairie dogs.  The formulation has application in a variety of pest species
• The vaccine formulation is a candidate for seeking license from the US Food and Drug Administration for companion animal and livestock uses.
• Patent Application Number 10,434,171 (Microfluidized Mycobacterium Avium Fragments as an Adjuvant and Carrier For Mucosal Vaccine Delivery), is based on the same vaccine formulation.