Comparative study of two deleted Mycobacterium bovis strains in experimental animal models

Abstract

Introduction: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) constitutes a problem for livestock and Public Health due to its negative impact on farms and its zoonotic nature. In Argentina, the application of the National Control and Eradication Program reduced bTB prevalence. Due to its complexity, the disease continues to be a challenge. Vaccination, as a complementary control tool, could reduce its impact on cattle. Currently, there is no commercial vaccine approved for its use in bovines. Two attenuated strains, M. bovis Δmce2 and M. bovis Δmce2-phoP1,2 induced protection against a virulent Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) strain, during a challenge in cattle3 and the murine model4, respectively. The objective of this work was to evaluate the virulence and safety of M. bovis Δmce2 and M. bovis Δmce2-phoP in mice and guinea pigs, to compare how these two strains behave in both animal models.