Haemonchus contortus control and performance of dairy goats vaccinated with Barbervax®: preliminary data.

The search for vaccines against worm parasites has been carried out for many decades but it?s especially important now that drench resistance compromised present control methods. Here we present preliminary results of a trial designed to evaluate Barbervax®, a vaccine derived from gut proteins of H. contortus in the control of this nematode in dairy goats. Female Saanen (n=20) and Anglo Nubian (n=20) goats aged six months were assigned by breed, body weight and fecal egg counts into four experimental groups (n=10) vaccinated or not, starting with three priming doses 21 days apart followed by boosts every 6 weeks. All animals grazed on the same bushland area and were subjected to natural plus artificial worm infection. Over the pregnancy and lactation we monitored FAMACHA©, egg counts, blood values and overall performance. Vaccinates of either breed had significant reductions in egg counts compared to controls, with 65.3% ± 10.7 for the Anglo Nubians and 67.6% ± 8.9 for Saanen but blood parameters and FAMACHA scores were positively affected by the vaccine only in the Saanens. Protection was maintained during per partum and lactation. Milk yield and other performance parameters were not affected by the vaccination regimen. Unlike anthelmintics, Barbervax® does not have a withdrawal period and so it could be useful in the management of Haemonchus infection during milk production.In conjunction with 53rd MSPTM Annual Conference