Animal Vaccines

The tests performed on animals can aid the development of synthetic vaccines and vaccines developed by genetic engineering to be used on humans. The next veterinary vaccine will probably be for aphthic fever (foot and mouth disease) which effects cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This is caused by a virus that is similar to the polio virus found in humans. Vaccines that are effective in animals give us insight as to a potential vaccine for a similar human disease. Currently, vaccines in animals are focusing on neutralizing the "fur" of bacteria. The "fur" has no pathogenic properties, but is where bacteria attaches iitself. If the "fur" can be neutralized the bacteria will have no means of adhering to the host cells, hence controlling the disease.