Progress in the development of a heat-stable recombinant rinderpest using an attenuated vaccinia virus vector

Abstract

Rinderpest is a fatal infectious disease of cattle and buffalo, and is prevalent in many parts of the developing world. Eradication campaigns are at present under way in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. As these regions have very hot climates, it is difficult and expensive to establish reliable cold chains to deliver heat-sensitive vaccines and, for this reason, many previous vaccination/eradication campaigns have been ineffective. To overcome the problem of vaccine heat-lability, a recombinant rinderpest vaccine (RRV) has been developed by inserting the haemagglutinin gene of rinderpest virus into the attenuated smallpox vaccine (vaccinia virus) and using this as a heat-stable vaccine vector system to deliver the foreign antigens. This rinderpest vaccine, as with the smallpox vaccine, could be used for the global eradication campaign, without the need to establish a cold chain. Both the efficacy and the safety of the RRV have been confirmed in experiments in cattle. In addition to heat stability, the RRV has several other advantages over the current rinderpest tissue-culture vaccine. DNA viruses have greater genetic stability than RNA viruses (this may be easily checked by restriction enzyme analysis), and the use of RRV enables vaccinated animals to be distinguished from naturally-infected animals, as the vaccine generates a more restricted antigenic response to rinderpest virus. The current situation in relation to the efficacy and safety of the RRV is discussed.

Long-term protective immunity to rinderpest in cattle following a single vaccination with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the virus haemagglutinin protein

“…A single subcutaneous inoculation of the rRV has been shown to give solid protective immunity in cattle for at least a year (Inui et al, 1995). The safety of the vaccine has been demonstrated in cattle and laboratory animals and, in addition, its heat stability and genetic stability on passage in cattle have been confirmed in previous studies (Yamanouchi et al, 1993 ;Yamanouchi & Barrett, 1994). In this study, we report further on the duration of immunity to RPV afforded by this vaccine and present the results of 2 and 3 year trials to test its long-term efficacy in cattle.…”

Role of stem glycans attached to haemagglutinin in the biological characteristics of H5N1 avian influenza virus

“…The thermostability of the viruses was determined as described previously (Negovetich & Webster, 2010;Yamanouchi & Barrett, 1994). Prior to the incubations, the TCID 50 values on CEF cells of the recombinant viruses in allantoic fluid were determined.…”

Diagnosis and control of peste des petits ruminants: a comprehensive review

“…Although, goats vaccinated with a recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV) expressing the H and F genes of RPV developed neutralizing antibodies to RPV, and not to PPRV, they were completely protected against challenge with virulent PPRV [115,162]. Goats were also protected against a lethal challenge of PPRV following vaccination with a recombinant capripoxvirus containing either the F or H gene of RPV [115].…”