Vaccine Against Lyme Disease and A Challenge Model for Evaluating Vaccine Efficiency

摘要

The invention provides a vaccine for protecting a susceptible mammal from Lyme disease comprising an amount of B. burgdorferi major antigens effective to induce a serum neutralizing titer of antibodies against B. burgdorferi. A process for preparing the vaccine against Lyme disease comprising culturing B. burgdorferi bacteria, monitoring the level of one of Osp A or Osp B, inactivating the bacteria when a maximum in the production as one of Osp A or Osp B is obtained, and mixing the inactivated bacteria in physiologically acceptable carrier is also covered. The invention also includes a process for inducing Lyme disease in a susceptible laboratory mammal comprising injecting virulent B. burgdorferi spirochetes into said mammal in a manner that mimics the transmission of the disease by a tick.