The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for a coronavirus vaccine for cattle development by MSD Animal Health.
BOVILIS Nasalgen-C, is the name of the bovine coronavirus (BCoV) vaccine for cattle.
The intranasal, live vaccine can be used for active immunisation of calves from the day of birth onward, to reduce clinical signs of upper respiratory disease and nasal viral shedding from infection with BCoV.
Coronavirus vaccine for cattle
BCoV is a member of a family of viruses associated with both enteric and respiratory diseases in ruminants. BCoV is well-established as a cause of neonatal calf diarrhoea.
When present in the respiratory tract of cattle, BCoV increases the risk for Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) complex, resulting in respiratory infections with histopathological lesions and clinical signs, according to MSD.
BRD is one of the most common and costly diseases in calves.
Geert Vertenten, global technical director, ruminant biologicals with MSD Animal Health said: “Preliminary results from a field study presented at the World Buiatrics Congress 2022 indicate that BCoV is commonly present in both the respiratory and enteric pathways in the dairy cattle population in Europe, with all herds being seropositive to the virus and the virus present in the respiratory pathway in 73% of the herds.
“BOVILIS Nasalgen-C, the only EU-licensed vaccine against BCoV that can be administered at the first day of life, offers young calves the earliest protection against this worldwide endemic pathogen.”
According to the company, the vaccine allows farmers and veterinarians to safely and effectively administer protection against the BCoV family of viruses in a single intranasal vaccination that can quickly reach the site of action.
Another benefit of intranasal vaccination according to MSD Animal Health, is its effectiveness when administered to a newborn animal in the presence of maternal antibodies found in colostrum – which a calf ingests from its mother during its first days of life.
The onset of immunity starts five days after administration, with a 12-week duration.