Intervet Inc.

Intervet International B.v.

Koen Gevers

Theodorus Petrus Maria Schetters

Markus Hendrikus Van Roosmalen

The invention is based on the finding that incubating a Cryptosporidium gp40 protein with an aziridine, significantly increases its immunogenicity. When used as a vaccine, this allows a reduction of the dose, which improves economic feasibility and safety. Consequently the aziridine-treated gp40 can now be used as a safe and effective subunit-vaccine for humans or non-human-animals against Cryptosporidiosis. Specifically for new-born ruminants a vaccination by way of colostral transfer was found to be very effective in reducing clinical signs of Cryptosporidiosis, especially diarrhoea.

Cryptosporidiosis vaccine

The invention pertains to a method to purify coccidial oocysts having dimensions between Dmin and Dmax from faeces comprising the steps of collecting the faeces containing the coccidial oocysts from host animals, diluting the faeces in an aqueous medium, separating a coarse fraction comprising macroscopic particulate matter from the diluted faeces and collecting an aqueous fraction containing the oocysts, characterised in that the method further comprises sieving the aqueous fraction over a first sieve deck having mesh openings to let the oocysts pass, to obtain an aqueous filtrate comprising the oocysts and a first residue comprising particles larger than the oocysts, and sieving the aqueous filtrate over a second sieve deck having mesh openings to obstruct passing of the oocysts through this sieve deck, to obtain a second residue comprising the purified oocysts and a waist filtrate comprising particles smaller than the oocysts. The invention also pertains to a system suitable for applying this method and to oocysts obtained therewith.

Method to purify coccidial oocysts from animal faeces, a system suitable for applying this method and oocysts obtained therewith

The invention pertains to a method to sporulate coccidial oocysts purified from animal faeces (), the method comprising providing the purified oocysts as a layer () on a supporting surface (), maintaining the layer at least intermittently in an oxygen containing gaseous environment () having a relative humidity of at least 15% and maintaining the temperature of the oocysts between 19&#xb0; C. and 37&#xb0; C. The invention also pertains to sporulated oocysts obtained with this method and to a vaccine containing such sporulated oocysts.

Method to sporulate coccidial oocysts purified from animal faeces, sporulated oocysts obtained with this method and a vaccine containing these sporulated oocysts

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Boxmeer, Netherlands

Koen Gevers