A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions
Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) causes skin lesions in farmed crocodiles leading to the depreciation of the value of their hides and significant economic losses. However, there is no commercially available vaccine designed for use in crocodilians against WNV. We tested chimeric virus vaccines compose...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | npj Vaccines |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-023-00688-w |
| _version_ | 1827612040754102272 |
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| author | Gervais Habarugira Jessica J. Harrison Jasmin Moran Willy W. Suen Agathe M. G. Colmant Jody Hobson-Peters Sally R. Isberg Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann Roy A. Hall |
| author_facet | Gervais Habarugira Jessica J. Harrison Jasmin Moran Willy W. Suen Agathe M. G. Colmant Jody Hobson-Peters Sally R. Isberg Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann Roy A. Hall |
| author_sort | Gervais Habarugira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) causes skin lesions in farmed crocodiles leading to the depreciation of the value of their hides and significant economic losses. However, there is no commercially available vaccine designed for use in crocodilians against WNV. We tested chimeric virus vaccines composed of the non-structural genes of the insect-specific flavivirus Binjari virus (BinJV) and genes encoding the structural proteins of WNV. The BinJV/WNV chimera, is antigenically similar to wild-type WNV but replication-defective in vertebrates. Intramuscular injection of two doses of BinJV/WNV in hatchling saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) elicited a robust neutralising antibody response and conferred protection against viremia and skin lesions after challenge with WNV. In contrast, mock-vaccinated crocodiles became viraemic and 22.2% exhibited WNV-induced lesions. This suggests that the BinJV/WNV chimera is a safe and efficacious vaccine for preventing WNV-induced skin lesions in farmed crocodilians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:15:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80b70985e3c24b4c8c4fc7038698c294 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-0105 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:15:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-80b70985e3c24b4c8c4fc7038698c2942023-12-02T22:18:14ZengNature Portfolionpj Vaccines2059-01052023-06-01811910.1038/s41541-023-00688-wA chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesionsGervais Habarugira0Jessica J. Harrison1Jasmin Moran2Willy W. Suen3Agathe M. G. Colmant4Jody Hobson-Peters5Sally R. Isberg6Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann7Roy A. Hall8School of Veterinary Science, The University of QueenslandSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of QueenslandCentre for Crocodile ResearchSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of QueenslandSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of QueenslandSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of QueenslandCentre for Crocodile ResearchSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of QueenslandSchool of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of QueenslandAbstract West Nile virus (WNV) causes skin lesions in farmed crocodiles leading to the depreciation of the value of their hides and significant economic losses. However, there is no commercially available vaccine designed for use in crocodilians against WNV. We tested chimeric virus vaccines composed of the non-structural genes of the insect-specific flavivirus Binjari virus (BinJV) and genes encoding the structural proteins of WNV. The BinJV/WNV chimera, is antigenically similar to wild-type WNV but replication-defective in vertebrates. Intramuscular injection of two doses of BinJV/WNV in hatchling saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) elicited a robust neutralising antibody response and conferred protection against viremia and skin lesions after challenge with WNV. In contrast, mock-vaccinated crocodiles became viraemic and 22.2% exhibited WNV-induced lesions. This suggests that the BinJV/WNV chimera is a safe and efficacious vaccine for preventing WNV-induced skin lesions in farmed crocodilians.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-023-00688-w |
| spellingShingle | Gervais Habarugira Jessica J. Harrison Jasmin Moran Willy W. Suen Agathe M. G. Colmant Jody Hobson-Peters Sally R. Isberg Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann Roy A. Hall A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions npj Vaccines |
| title | A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions |
| title_full | A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions |
| title_fullStr | A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions |
| title_full_unstemmed | A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions |
| title_short | A chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from West Nile virus-induced skin lesions |
| title_sort | chimeric vaccine protects farmed saltwater crocodiles from west nile virus induced skin lesions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-023-00688-w |
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