University Products LLC Highlighted the Recent Antibiotic-Treatment Regulation by FDA in Bovine Herds as Critically Necessary; Also Indicated in New Pew Trust Research

BATON ROUGE, La., June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- University Products, LLC recently underscored the importance of an article published by the Pew Trust's Antibiotic Resistance Project: "FDA Must Establish Limits for All Animal Antibiotics." Written by the Project Director and antibiotics expert, Dr. David Hyun, the research reiterated that the FDA's 2018 announcement of a five-year plan to curb the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria "included a commitment to ensuring that medically important antibiotics used in animals have limited and defined durations of use." This is particularly important for diseases like anaplasmosis that are not only firmly endemic but also widespread throughout cattle-producing regions in the U.S. and abroad. University Products LLC is the only maker of a successful bovine anaplasmosis vaccine.

"Dr. Hyun specifically mentions anaplasmosis in this research because of the complexity of the ongoing problem," said Dr. Gene Luther. "It's something that the industry has been grappling with for decades. There are two major companies that provide antibiotics for anaplasmosis, but they will probably be the first to see these FDA regulations enforced regarding 'defined duration.' Antibiotic use for a long term has always been contraindicated because the science is quite clear on the consequences: the development of powerful, resistant strains of bacterial disease. That's why vaccines are the best answer to this type of persistent issue. Bolstering the herd's immune system by vaccinating each animal saves time, money, and cattle. And we know it works."

Anaplasmosis is a blood disease carried by parasites that infects red blood cells and causes severe anemia and death, representing a major annual financial loss to ranchers and the beef industry. The anaplasmosis vaccine developed by Dr. Luther for University Products has been widely deployed in multiple U.S. states and Puerto Rico. 

"Vaccination has been an economical and effective way to control bovine anaplasmosis worldwide. Vaccines for the control of anaplasmosis can be divided into two major types: live and killed vaccines."

"There are other live vaccines currently in use, in places like Australia and South America," said Dr. Luther. "But they use an attenuated or modified live strain of an alternate variant: A. centrale. Our vaccine is a purified antigen of the organism causing the problem in cattle: A. marginale. This particular antigen is the key to our vaccination's effectiveness. And it's extremely important to vaccinate against this specific organism and keep up with booster shots because, while vaccines are clinically effective, they do not block infection. Infected cows continue to be vectors of disease, serving as reservoirs of infected blood for insects and needles– and this is a problem that antibiotics cannot address. So right now, the only safe herd is a fully vaccinated herd."

The University Products vaccine requires two doses in the first year, with one annual booster each year thereafter, and the treatment is safe to use in any stage of bovine pregnancy. A detailed description of the vaccine and its method of administration is publicly available for PDF download.

For more information on the vaccine and availability for farmers and producers, have your veterinarian contact Dr. Luther directly by email at [email protected].

Media Contact:

Don Luther, Director
225-413-7203
[email protected]

SOURCE University Products LLC