Developing a Broader Leptospirosis Vaccine

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic bacterial disease that affects numerous animal species. This re-emerging disease increasingly is recognized as a cause of illness and death in dogs. Currently available vaccines only provide protection against a few strains and their protection is short-lived, requiring more frequent vaccination. To improve vaccine duration, and confer protection against a larger number of Leptospira strains, researchers will use a novel strategy to screen genomes of several  known strains of canine leptospirosis. The hope is to identify components (peptides) common to multiple strains that can trigger a protective immune response against multiple strains. Researchers will use this new information to develop an improved vaccine with broader protection and a longer-lasting immune response.