ARS | Publication request: Impact of variation in acute virulence of BVDV1 strains on design of better vaccine efficacy challenge models

Submitted to: Vaccine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 5, 2007
Publication Date: November 19, 2007
Citation: Ridpath, J.F., Neill, J.D., Peterhans, E. 2007. Impact of variation in acute virulence of BVDV1 strains on design of better vaccine efficacy challenge models. Vaccine. 25(47):8058-8066.

Interpretive Summary: Infection with bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) are a source of significant economic loss to dairy and beef producers. The use of vaccines can reduce the spread of BVDV. In this manuscript we describe the development of an experimental model that allows for a better means of evaluating just how well BVDV vaccines work.

Technical Abstract: Due to antigenic differences between BVDV1 and BVDV2 strains both pestivirus species are included in U.S. vaccines. The efficacy of these vaccines in preventing acute infections is evaluated based on reduction of clinical disease. While high virulence BVDV2 strains are used in U.S. vaccine efficacy studies, the BVDV1 strain used (NY-1) produces very little in the way of clinical disease. In order to identify a BVDV1 strain that generates a more pronounced clinical presentation, three field strains were compared to NY-1. Infection with two of the field strains resulted in significantly more pronounced clinical disease compared to NY-1. Decreasing the inoculation of a field strain by two logs did not significantly change clinical presentation.