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American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989)2011; 66(1); 40-50; doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2011.01003.x

Contraceptive vaccines for wildlife: a review.

Abstract: Wildlife, free-ranging and captive, poses and causes serious population problems not unlike those encountered with human overpopulation. Traditional lethal control programs, however, are not always legal, wise, safe, or publicly acceptable; thus, alternative approaches are necessary. Immunocontraception of free-ranging wildlife has reached the management level, with success across a large variety of species. Thus far, the immunocontraceptive research and management applications emphasis have been centered on porcine zona pellucida and gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccines. Contraceptive success has been achieved in more than 85 different wildlife species, at the level of both the individual animal and the population. At the population management level with free-ranging species, the primary focus has been on wild horses, urban deer, bison, and African elephants. The challenges in the development and application of vaccine-based wildlife contraceptives are diverse and include differences in efficacy across species, safety of vaccines during pregnancy, the development of novel delivery systems for wild and wary free-ranging animals, and the constraints of certain non-contraceptive effects, such as effects on behavior. Beyond the constraints imposed by the public and a host of regulatory concerns, there exists a real limitation for funding of well-designed programs that apply this type of fertility control.
© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
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Publication Date: 2011-04-19 PubMed ID: 21501279DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2011.01003.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article explores the concept and effectiveness of contraceptive vaccines for managing wildlife populations, specifically focusing on porcine zona pellucida and gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccines. The study highlights the successes and challenges in implementing these contraceptive methods for a wide variety of species.

Overview of Contraceptive Vaccines for Wildlife

  • The research is based on the concept of immunocontraception, which aims to control the population of wildlife both in captivity and in the wild. This approach has become a crucial aspect of population management due to legal and public acceptance limitations of traditional lethal control methods.
  • The researchers focus on two specific immunocontraceptive vaccines: porcine zona pellucida (PZP) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which have both exhibited a successful rate of contraceptive implementation across a variety of species.

Successes of Immunocontraception

  • The study reports successful contraceptive results in more than 85 different wildlife species at both the individual and population levels. This suggests the potential effectiveness of this approach in large-scale population management.
  • At the free-range population level, the primary emphasis has been on wild horses, urban deer, bison, and African elephants. The management of these populations shows considerable progress thanks to the use of these contraceptive vaccines.

Challenges of Contraceptive Use in Wildlife

  • Despite its successes, the research outlines several key challenges in the development and application of the aforementioned contraceptive vaccines. These include varying efficacy across species, concerns about the safety of vaccines during animal pregnancy, and the development of novel, effective vaccine delivery systems for managing free-ranging wildlife.
  • The authors also highlight the constraints of non-contraceptive effects caused by these vaccines, such as behavioral changes in the vaccinated animals.
  • The study also mentions other aspects that hinder the effective application of wildlife contraceptives, such as the lack of public acceptance, regulatory concerns, and limitations in securing sufficient funding for well-designed and executed fertility control programs.

Cite This Article

APA
Kirkpatrick JF, Lyda RO, Frank KM. (2011). Contraceptive vaccines for wildlife: a review. Am J Reprod Immunol, 66(1), 40-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0897.2011.01003.x

Publication

American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989)
ISSN: 1600-0897
NlmUniqueID: 8912860
Country: Denmark
Language: English
Volume: 66
Issue: 1
Pages: 40-50

Researcher Affiliations

Kirkpatrick, Jay F
  • The Science and Conservation Center, ZooMontana, 2100 South Shiloh Road, Billings, MT 59106, USA. jkirkpatrick@montana.net
Lyda, Robin O
    Frank, Kimberly M

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Animals, Wild / immunology
      • Antigens / immunology
      • Cattle
      • Contraception, Immunologic / economics
      • Contraception, Immunologic / ethics
      • Contraception, Immunologic / methods
      • Contraception, Immunologic / veterinary
      • Deer / immunology
      • Egg Proteins / immunology
      • Equidae / immunology
      • Female
      • Fertility / drug effects
      • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / immunology
      • Male
      • Membrane Glycoproteins / immunology
      • Population Control / economics
      • Population Control / methods
      • Population Control / trends
      • Receptors, Cell Surface / immunology
      • Species Specificity
      • Swine / immunology
      • Treatment Outcome
      • Vaccination
      • Vaccines, Contraceptive / administration & dosage
      • Vaccines, Contraceptive / immunology
      • Vaccines, Synthetic / administration & dosage
      • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology
      • Zona Pellucida / immunology
      • Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins

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