A Recombinant Rift Valley Fever Virus Glycoprotein Subunit Vaccine Confers Full Protection against Rift Valley Fever Challenge in Sheep.

Abstract

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen causing disease outbreaks in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The virus has great potential for transboundary spread due to the presence of competent vectors in non-endemic areas. There is currently no fully licensed vaccine suitable for use in livestock or humans outside endemic areas. Here we report the evaluation of the efficacy of a recombinant subunit vaccine based on the RVFV Gn and Gc glycoproteins. In a previous study, the vaccine elicited strong virus neutralizing antibody responses in sheep and was DIVA (differentiating naturally infected from vaccinated animals) compatible. In the current efficacy study, a group of sheep (n = 5) was vaccinated subcutaneously with the glycoprotein-based subunit vaccine candidate and then subjected to heterologous challenge with the virulent Kenya-128B-15 RVFV strain. The vaccine elicited high virus neutralizing antibody titers and conferred complete protection in all vaccinated sheep, as evidenced by prevention of viremia, fever and absence of RVFV-associated histopathological lesions. We conclude that the subunit vaccine platform represents a promising strategy for the prevention and control of RVFV infections in susceptible hosts.

• Authors: Bonto Faburay, William C Wilson, Natasha N Gaudreault, A Sally Davis, Vinay Shivanna, Bhupinder Bawa, Sun Young Sunwoo, Wenjun Ma, Barbara S Drolet, Igor Morozov, D Scott McVey, Juergen A Richt
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 6 Pg. 27719 (06 14 2016) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 27296136 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Neutralizing
• Glycoproteins
• Immunoglobulin G
• Recombinant Proteins
• Vaccines, Subunit

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Neutralizing (metabolism)
• Antibody Formation (immunology)
• Glycoproteins (immunology)
• Immunoglobulin G (blood)
• Liver (pathology)
• Lymph Nodes (pathology)
• Recombinant Proteins (immunology)
• Rift Valley Fever (blood, immunology, prevention & control)
• Rift Valley fever virus (metabolism, pathogenicity)
• Sheep (immunology, virology)
• Sheep Diseases (blood, immunology, prevention & control, virology)
• Temperature
• Vaccines, Subunit (immunology)
• Viremia (immunology)
• Virulence