Biotechnology and veterinary science: production of veterinary vaccines

The fundamental principles of genetic manipulation are explained, as are the methods of production of vaccines of veterinary importance. Specific attenuation of micro-organisms may result from genetically-engineered mutations which produce metabolic blocks, from the development of effective bacterial toxoids and from viral gene segment reassortment. Recombinant DNA techniques have been used to produce multi-component vaccines by the insertion of genes into carrier organisms, such as pox viruses and attenuated salmonella, and also to produce subunit vaccines. The use of synthetic peptide vaccines and anti-idiotype vaccines, together with problems of parasite vaccines, are described. Biotechnology would appear to have a major role to play in the future prevention of many animal diseases.