March 11, 2009
Epitopix vaccine against E. coli approved by the USDA
Epitopix, in Willmar, Minnesota-based start-up, a spin-off of Willmar Poultry Co., has won approval from the USDA to sell the first animal vaccine in the US to combat a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria.
The company won a conditional license from the USDA to start selling the vaccine to cattle producers and beef processors.
A conditional license means a company can market the product but that the USDA still requires additional safety and efficacy tests.
Epitopix's vaccine is designed to reduce the amount of the pathogens associated with E. coli O157 in the intestines of cattle, helping to prevent the deadly bacteria from contaminating human food.
According to field studies conducted by Epitopix and reviewed by the USDA, the vaccine reduced the number of cattle testing positive for the bacteria by 85 percent.
Of the animals that did test positive for E. coli, the vaccine eliminated 99 percent of the bacteria.
University of Georgia's Centre for Food Safety director Michael Doyle said that the vaccine would be a beneficial treatment for meat producers.
The bacteria, which live in intestines of cattle, infect humans who inadvertently consume animal faeces found in finished products such as ground beef.
