Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** tick-borne pathogens cause major…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** tick-borne pathogens cause major economic losses to the livestock industry, leading to an estimated $19.7 billion in losses forthe U.S., including approximately $3 billion in losses for cattle producers. Among the 900 species of ticks, the asian longhornedtick (ALT), an invasive, non-native tick species, poses a major threat to animal health and productivity in cattle and otherlivestock. Currently, tick management includes inspection and chemical control and can be a tedious and expensive process forlivestock producers. Unfortunately, there are no vaccines in the U.S. That target ALT. Medgene labs will develop the first U.S.-based ALT anti-tick vaccine, which will be baculovirus derived and administered as a 2-dose regimen. This vaccine willsignificantly reduce the cost, time, and effort associated with herd management. This phase II project will 1) demonstrate the efficacy of the vaccine in reducing tick loadand 2) determine the mechanism of action of the vaccine. Successfulcompletion of our phase i project will generate data toestablish the utility of our vaccine against tick-borne disease in cattle and will provide a model for the development of effective vaccines against other tick species native to the U.S.