Development of Vaccine for Swine Influenza 'A' Virus Using a Unique Carrier-Adjuvant

April 3, 2013 — 

Influenza A virus causes a highly contagious respiratory disease in a variety of hosts, including humans and pigs. Pigs as an intermediate host facilitate the genetic reassortment between avian and human influenza viruses, which results in the emergence of new, human-proficient viruses. The primary means for controlling influenza virus epidemics is vaccination. However, the efficacy of vaccination towards influenza virus is limited by frequent changes in the virus. In addition, unlike the human vaccine, which is updated annually based on the prediction of circulating strains, funding is not currently available to the swine industry to update swine influenza vaccines annually. In this study, pigs were immunized with epitope-toxin chimeric antigen, and challenged with H1N1 or H3N2 virus. In comparison to the non-vaccinated pigs, vaccinated pigs showed protection from H1N1 virus challenge, with significant reduction of H1N1 induced fever and pneumonic lesions. In addition, significant reduction of the viral load in nasal secretion was observed in vaccinated pigs challenged with H1N1 virus. This study established a model system for future construction of peptide-based vaccines against swine pathogens.

Key Points:

• Influenza A virus causes a highly contagious respiratory disease in a variety of hosts, including humans and pigs.
• Funding is not currently available to the swine industry to update swine influenza vaccines annually.
• This study looked at immunizing pigs with an epitope-toxin chimeric antigen.
• Vaccinated pigs showed protection from H1N1 virus challenge, with significant reduction of H1N1 induced fever and pneumonic lesions.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Ying Fang, South Dakota State University

To learn more, click here.

Source: Pork Checkoff Research Review, March-April, 2013