Brucellosis Vaccine (RB51)
RB51 strain brucellosis control for cattle herds, with no serology interference for concurrent surveillance.
Brucellosis costs East African producers 10-25% annual reproductive loss and drives 500,000 human infections globally every year.
Bovine brucellosis causes abortion storms, infertility and reduced milk yield in cattle herds, and transmits to humans through aborted material and raw milk. Boehringer Ingelheim's RB51 vaccine stimulates strong immunity without producing antibodies that interfere with diagnostic serology, so vaccination and surveillance can run in the same herd simultaneously. Jos•Hansen supplies and manages RB51 programmes across East Africa under veterinary authority oversight.
No serology interference
RB51's rough mutant strain does not produce smooth LPS antibodies. Vaccinated cattle remain seronegative on standard Rose Bengal and complement fixation tests. Vaccination and surveillance proceed in the same herd at the same time.
Zoonotic control
Bovine brucellosis transmits directly to humans through aborted material, raw milk and carcass fluids. Controlling disease in cattle is the primary intervention for reducing the 500,000 annual human brucellosis infections recorded globally.
Licensed supply chain
Supplied under veterinary prescription through Jos•Hansen's licensed supply chain. All importation, handling and documentation complies with DVS requirements and FAO brucellosis control guidelines.
Brucellosis is a production crisis and a public health emergency.
Brucella abortus causes abortion in the final trimester, often sweeping an entire herd simultaneously, plus infertility, epididymitis in bulls and chronic milk yield suppression. For human health, exposure through aborted material and raw milk causes undulant fever, a debilitating recurring febrile illness. The economic impact includes lost reproductive value and loss of market access where brucellosis-free status is a buyer requirement.
RB51 solves the serology problem that blocked S19.
Earlier vaccines based on Brucella abortus S19 produced serum antibodies indistinguishable from natural infection on standard tests, making post-vaccination surveillance impossible. RB51 uses a rough mutant strain lacking the O-chain LPS antigen, stimulating strong cell-mediated immunity without the interfering antibody. Administered subcutaneously as a single primary dose in heifers aged 3-8 months.
Test-and-vaccinate under one procurement partner.
Jos•Hansen integrates RB51 vaccination with IDEXX rapid field tests for screening and HORIBA laboratory systems for confirmation, enabling a full test-and-vaccinate programme under one supplier. We provide veterinary authority documentation, outbreak investigation support and programme reporting to national disease control units across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Technical specifications.
Vaccine strain
Brucella abortus RB51 (rough mutant)
Vaccine type
Live attenuated, modified live
Target species
Cattle, heifers and adult cows
Primary dose
2 ml subcutaneous, heifers 3-8 months
Serology interference
None, RB51 does not produce S-LPS antibodies
Storage
2-8°C, lyophilised, reconstituted before use
Regulatory supply
Veterinary prescription, DVS licensed
Serology interference: RB51-vaccinated cattle remain seronegative on Rose Bengal and complement fixation brucellosis tests
Human brucellosis infections annually worldwide, the zoonotic burden that cattle vaccination programmes directly reduce
Typical annual reproductive loss in brucellosis-affected herds, the economic cost that systematic vaccination programmes prevent
Why Brucellosis.
No serology interference
Surveillance testing proceeds normally in vaccinated herds. RB51 does not produce the smooth LPS antibodies that confound standard diagnostic tests.
Zoonotic risk reduction
Controlling brucellosis in cattle is the primary intervention for preventing human infection through milk, aborted material and carcass contact.
Integrated test-and-vaccinate
IDEXX rapid field tests plus RB51 vaccine under one procurement partner. Complete test-and-vaccinate programme execution without splitting suppliers.
Regulatory programme support
Full DVS documentation, outbreak investigation, herd movement restriction planning and programme reporting to national disease control units.
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