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Manila Bulletin devider World devider Aussie researchers develop new vaccine to protect crocodiles from skin lesions

Aussie researchers develop new vaccine to protect crocodiles from skin lesions

By Xinhua
Published Jun 29, 2023 02:09 pm
SYDNEY, Australia - Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) developed a new vaccine against West Nile Virus (WNV) to protect farmed saltwater crocodiles from skin lesions.    According to their study recently published in the npj Vaccines journal, the chimeric virus vaccines are composed of the non-structural genes of the insect-specific flavivirus Binjari virus and genes encoding the structural proteins of WNV.    Roy Hall, co-author of the study and UQ's professor, said on Thursday that the vaccine is based on a benign Binjari virus isolated from Australian mosquitoes and is the first of its kind to achieve proven safety and efficacy in crocodiles.    "We have demonstrated that our vaccine induces a robust immune response in vaccinated animals after two doses," said Hall, adding that "crocodiles that received the vaccine developed strong protective immunity against WNV, without the virus replicating."    Another co-author and UQ's Senior Research Fellow Jody Hobson-Peters pointed out that the WNV, which is prevalent in high rainfall years, threatens the commercial viability of Australia's crocodile hide farming industry.    "Crocs infected with the local strain of WNV, known as Kunjin virus, develop small skin lesions called pix, which renders their hide unsaleable," said Hobson-Peters.    The expert estimated that WNV infection can affect up to 30 percent of croc hides, costing the industry as much as 10 million Australian dollars (6.6 million U.S. dollars) in a single year.    In the eyes of the research team, protecting farmed crocodiles not only holds economic value but also has ecological benefits.    "The captive-breeding industry promotes sustainable practices and places an economic value on crocodiles, meaning communities living with or near crocs are more tolerant of their presence in waterways and are incentivized to protect their habitats," said Sally Isberg, the research's co-author and director of the Northern Territory-based Centre for Crocodile Research.    "As a result, other species that co-inhabit with crocs are protected, such as the brolga, jabiru, and long-necked turtle," she added. 

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