ARS | Publication request: RECOMBINANT PARAMYXOVIRUS TYPE 1-AVIAN INFLUENZA-H7 VIRUS AS A VACCINE FOR PROTECTION OF CHICKENS AGAINST INFLUENZA AND NEWCASTLE DISEASE

Submitted to: International Symposium on Avian Influenza
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 15, 2002
Publication Date: April 17, 2002
Citation: Swayne, D.E., Suarez, D.L., Schultz Cherry, S.L., Tumpey, T., King, D.J., Nakaya, T., Palese, P., Garcia-Sastre, A. 2002. Recombinant paramyxovirus type 1-avian influenza-h7 virus as a vaccine for protection of chickens against influenza and newcastle disease. International Symposium on Avian Influenza.

Technical Abstract: Current vaccines to prevent avian influenza rely upon labor-intensive parenteral injection. A more advantageous vaccine would be capable of administration by mass immunization methods such as spray or water vaccination. A recombinant vaccine (rNDV-AIV-H7) was constructed by using a lentogenic Paramyxovirus type 1 vector (Newcastle disease virus [NDV] B1 strain) with insertion of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from avian influenza virus (AIV) A/chicken/NY/13142-5/94 (H7N2). The recombinant virus had stable insertion and expression of the H7 AIV HA gene as evident by detection of HA expression via immunofluorescence in infected Vero cells. The rNDV-AIV-H7 replicated in 9-10 day embryonating chicken eggs and exhibited hemagglutinating activity from both NDV and AI proteins. Groups of 2-week-old white Leghorn chickens were vaccinated with transfectant NDV vector, rNDV-AIV-H7 or sterile allantoic fluid and were challenged 2 weeks later with velogenic NDV or highly pathogenic AIV. The sham-vaccinated birds were not protected from NDV or AIV challenge. The transfectant NDV vaccine provide 70% protection for NDV challenge but did not protect against AIV challenge. The rNDV-AIV-H7 vaccine provided partial protection (40%) from NDV and AIV challenge. In other chickens, serologic response was examined in 2 week-old birds 1x or 2x immunized with rNDV-AIV-H7 vaccine. Strong seroconversion to AIV H7, as determined by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and ELISA tests, was demonstrated in the 2x group at four weeks after vaccination, but the serologic response was week in the 1x group. This demonstrates the potential for NDV for use as a vaccine vector in expressing AIV proteins.