COMPARATIVE VACCINATION OF CATTLE AGAINST BOOPHILUS-MICROPLUS WITH RECOMBINANT ANTIGEN BM86 ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH RECOMBINANT BM91

Cattle were vaccinated either with a single recombinant tick antigen, Bm86 ol with a combination of two recombinant antigens, Bm86 and Bm91 from the rick Boophilus microplus. In thr ee experiments, the response s of cattle to subsequent challenge with the tick were assessed. The a ddition of the Bm91 antigen enhanced the efficacy of the vaccination o ver that with Bm86 alone to a statistically significant degree. Moreov er, co-vaccination with two antigens did not impair the response of ca ttle to the Bm86 antigen. Finally, responses of individual cattle to t he two antigens were independent. All of these results may be relevant to the increase in efficacy expected from a dial antigen vaccine.