Serological response of foals to polyvalent and monovalent live-attenuated African horse sickness virus vaccines

Immunogenic profile of a plant-produced nonavalent African horse sickness viral protein 2 (VP2) vaccine in IFNAR-/- mice

A safe, highly immunogenic multivalent vaccine to protect against all nine serotypes of African horse sickness virus (AHSV), will revolutionise the AHS vaccine industry in endemic countries and beyond. Plant-produced AHS virus-like particles (VLPs) and soluble viral protein 2 (VP2) vaccine candidates were developed that have the potential to protect against all nine serotypes but can equally well be formulated as mono- and bi-valent formulations for localised outbreaks of specific serotypes. In the first interferon α/β receptor knock-out (IFNAR-/-) mice trial conducted, a nine-serotype (nonavalent) vaccine administered as two pentavalent (5 μg per serotype) vaccines (VLP/VP2 combination or exclusively VP2), were directly compared to the commercially available AHS live attenuated vaccine. In a follow up trial, mice were vaccinated with an adjuvanted nine-serotype multivalent VP2 vaccine in a prime boost strategy and resulted in the desired neutralising antibody titres of 1:320, previously demonstrated to confer protective immunity in IFNAR-/- mice. In addition, the plant-produced VP2 vaccine performed favourably when compared to the commercial vaccine. Here we provide compelling data for a nonavalent VP2-based vaccine candidate, with the VP2 from each serotype being antigenically distinguishable based on LC-MS/MS and ELISA data. This is the first preclinical trial demonstrating the ability of an adjuvanted nonavalent cocktail of soluble, plant-expressed AHS VP2 proteins administered in a prime-boost strategy eliciting high antibody titres against all 9 AHSV serotypes. Furthermore, elevated T helper cells 2 (Th2) and Th1, indicative of humoral and cell-mediated memory T cell immune responses, respectively, were detected in mouse serum collected 14 days after the multivalent prime-boost vaccination. Both Th2 and Th1 may play a role to confer protective immunity. These preclinical immunogenicity studies paved the way to test the safety and protective efficacy of the plant-produced nonavalent VP2 vaccine candidate in the target animals, horses.

Development of Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) Real-Time PCR for African Horse Sickness Virus Serotype 1

African horse sickness (AHS) is a highly infectious and often fatal disease caused by 9 serotypes of the orbivirus African horse sickness virus (AHSV). In March 2020, an AHS outbreak was reported in Thailand in which AHSV serotype 1 was identified as the causative agent. Trivalent live attenuated vaccines serotype 1, 3, and 4 were used in a targeted vaccination campaign within a 50-km radius surrounding the infected cases, which promptly controlled the spread of the disease. However, AHS-like symptoms in vaccinated horses required laboratory diagnostic methods to differentiate infected horses from vaccinated horses, especially for postvaccination surveillance. We describe a real-time reverse transcription PCR-based assay for rapid characterization of the affecting field strain. The development and validation of this assay should imbue confidence in differentiating AHS-vaccinated horses from nonvaccinated horses. This method should be applied to determining the epidemiology of AHSV in future outbreaks.

Protective immunity of plant-produced African horse sickness virus serotype 5 chimaeric virus-like particles (VLPs) and viral protein 2 (VP2) vaccines in IFNAR-/- mice

Next generation vaccines have the capability to contribute to and revolutionise the veterinary vaccine industry. African horse sickness (AHS) is caused by an arbovirus infection and is characterised by respiratory distress and/or cardiovascular failure and is lethal to horses. Mandatory annual vaccination in endemic areas curtails disease occurrence and severity. However, development of a next generation AHSV vaccine, which is both safe and efficacious, has been an objective globally for years. In this study, both AHSV serotype 5 chimaeric virus-like particles (VLPs) and soluble viral protein 2 (VP2) were successfully produced in Nicotiana benthamiana ΔXT/FT plants, partially purified and validated by gel electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) based peptide sequencing before vaccine formulation. IFNAR^-/- mice vaccinated with the adjuvanted VLPs or VP2 antigens in a 10 µg prime-boost regime resulted in high titres of antibodies confirmed by both serum neutralising tests (SNTs) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Although previous studies reported high titres of antibodies in horses when vaccinated with plant-produced AHS homogenous VLPs, this is the first study demonstrating the protective efficacy of both AHSV serotype 5 chimaeric VLPs and soluble AHSV-5 VP2 as vaccine candidates. Complementary to this, coating ELISA plates with the soluble VP2 has the potential to underpin serotype-specific serological assays.

Clinical, Virological and Immunological Responses after Experimental Infection with African Horse Sickness Virus Serotype 9 in Immunologically Naïve and Vaccinated Horses

This study described the clinical, virological, and serological responses of immunologically naïve and vaccinated horses to African horse sickness virus (AHSV) serotype 9. Naïve horses developed a clinical picture resembling the cardiac form of African horse sickness. This was characterized by inappetence, reduced activity, and hyperthermia leading to lethargy and immobility–recumbency by days 9–10 post-infection, an end-point criteria for euthanasia. After challenge, unvaccinated horses were viremic from days 3 or 4 post-infection till euthanasia, as detected by serogroup-specific (GS) real time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) and virus isolation. Virus isolation, antigen ELISA, and GS-rRT-PCR also demonstrated high sensitivity in the post-mortem detection of the pathogen. After infection, serogroup-specific VP7 antibodies were undetectable by blocking ELISA (b-ELISA) in 2 out of 3 unvaccinated horses during the course of the disease (9–10 dpi). Vaccinated horses did not show significant side effects post-vaccination and were largely asymptomatic after the AHSV-9 challenge. VP7-specific antibodies could not be detected by the b-ELISA until day 21 and day 30 post-inoculation, respectively. Virus neutralizing antibody titres were low or even undetectable for specific serotypes in the vaccinated horses. Virus isolation and GS-rRT-PCR detected the presence of AHSV vaccine strains genomes and infectious vaccine virus after vaccination and challenge. This study established an experimental infection model of AHSV-9 in horses and characterized the main clinical, virological, and immunological parameters in both immunologically naïve and vaccinated horses using standardized bio-assays.

Use of nanopore sequencing to characterize african horse sickness virus (AHSV) from the African horse sickness outbreak in thailand in 2020

African horse sickness (AHS) is a highly infectious and deadly disease despite availability of vaccines. Molecular characterization of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) detected from the March 2020 Thailand outbreak was carried out by whole-genome sequencing using Nanopore with a Sequence-Independent Single Primer Amplification (SISPA) approach. Nucleotide sequence of the whole genome was compared with closest matching AHSV strains using phylogenetic analyses and the AHSV-1 virus shared high sequence identity with isolates from the same outbreak. Substitution analysis revealed non-synonymous and synonymous substitutions in the VP2 gene as compared to circulating South African strains. The use of sequencing technologies, such as Nanopore with SISPA, has enabled rapid detection, identification and detailed genetic characterization of the AHS virus for informed decision-making and implementation of disease control measures. Active genetic information sharing has also allowed emergence of AHSV to be better monitored on a global basis.

Humoral antibody response of 10 horses after vaccination against African horse sickness with an inactivated vaccine containing all 9 serotypes in one injection

BACKGROUND

African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating viral disease of equids that was first recorded in 1327. Currently, prevention and control of the disease are based on attenuated vaccines and midge control. It has been shown that attenuated Orbivirus vaccines are not always safe as they may reverse to virulence.

OBJECTIVES

In the Emirate of Dubai, a vaccination experiment was carried out with an inactivated AHS vaccine produced at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL), Dubai, UAE to investigate the humoral antibody response of AHS-naïve horses to this vaccine. Our vaccination experiment was performed to establish an AHS vaccine bank in the UAE to protect horses from the disease in case of an outbreak. Therefore, CVRL established an inactivated AHS vaccine containing all nine serotypes which induce high neutralising antibodies.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 10 horses kept in a desert isolation area were subcutaneously and intramuscularly vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine containing all nine AHS serotypes previously isolated from Kenyan horse fatalities. Primary immunisation was followed by two booster immunisations 4 weeks and 6 months apart. After 13 months, an annual booster was administered.

METHODS

Blood samples were regularly withdrawn for ELISA and virus neutralisation testing. Additionally, EDTA blood was tested every second day for 14 days post each vaccination for the presence of AHS virus or its RNA.

RESULTS

Results show that ELISA and virus neutralising antibodies appeared after the first booster, declined after 4-6 months and therefore three vaccinations and an annual vaccination are necessary to achieve high protective virus neutralising antibodies.

MAIN LIMITATIONS

No challenge infection was carried out due to the lack of a safe facility in the UAE.

CONCLUSION

Before more advanced AHS vaccines become a reality, inactivated vaccines containing all nine serotypes should be used as they produce high ELISA and neutralising antibodies.

Immune response of horses to inactivated African horse sickness vaccines

BACKGROUND

African horse sickness (AHS) is a serious viral disease of equids resulting in the deaths of many equids in sub-Saharan Africa that has been recognized for centuries. This has significant economic impact on the horse industry, despite the good husbandry practices. Currently, prevention and control of the disease is based on administration of live attenuated vaccines and control of the arthropod vectors.

RESULTS

A total of 29 horses in 2 groups, were vaccinated. Eighteen horses in Group 1 were further divided into 9 subgroups of 2 horses each, were individually immunised with one of 1 to 9 AHS serotypes, respectively. The eleven horses of Group 2 were immunised with all 9 serotypes simultaneously with 2 different vaccinations containing 5 serotypes (1, 4, 7-9) and 4 serotypes (2, 3, 5, 6) respectively. The duration of this study was 12 months. Blood samples were periodically withdrawn for serum antibody tests using ELISA and VNT and for 2 weeks after each vaccination for PCR and virus isolation. After the booster vaccination, these 27 horses seroconverted, however 2 horses responded poorly as measured by ELISA. In Group 1 ELISA and VN antibodies declined between 5 to 7 months post vaccination (pv). Twelve months later, the antibody levels in most of the horses decreased to the seronegative range until the annual booster where all horses again seroconverted strongly. In Group 2, ELISA antibodies were positive after the first booster and VN antibodies started to appear for some serotypes after primary vaccination. After booster vaccination, VN antibodies increased in a different pattern for each serotype. Antibodies remained high for 12 months and increased strongly after the annual booster in 78% of the horses. PCR and virus isolation results remained negative.

CONCLUSIONS

Horses vaccinated with single serotypes need a booster after 6 months and simultaneously immunised horses after 12 months. Due to the non-availability of a facility in the UAE, no challenge infection could be carried out.

African Horse Sickness Fever in Vaccinated Horses: Short Communication

Our investigation has shown that multiple vaccinations with inactivated African horse sickness (AHS) vaccines containing all 9 serotypes and produced at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, UAE, protect horses from AHS. However, the immunization did not prevent African horse sickness fever (AHSF) in approximately 10% of the vaccinated horses despite high enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and virus neutralizing antibodies. African horse sickness fever is a very mild form of AHS with similar clinical signs. From all 6 horses which had developed AHSF, no virus was isolated from EDTA blood withdrawn during the acute phase of infection. Despite high neutralizing antibodies, serotype 9 was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 4 of them. All 6 horses recovered within 72 hours, after they developed mild clinical signs of AHS.

Plant-produced chimeric virus-like particles - a new generation vaccine against African horse sickness

BACKGROUND

African horse sickness (AHS) is a severe arthropod-borne viral disease of equids, with a mortality rate of up to 95% in susceptible naïve horses. Due to safety concerns with the current live, attenuated AHS vaccine, alternate safe and effective vaccination strategies such as virus-like particles (VLPs) are being investigated. Transient plant-based expression systems are a rapid and highly scalable means of producing such African horse sickness virus (AHSV) VLPs for vaccine purposes.

RESULTS

In this study, we demonstrated that transient co-expression of the four AHSV capsid proteins in agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana dXT/FT plants not only allowed for the assembly of homogenous AHSV-1 VLPs but also single, double and triple chimeric VLPs, where one capsid protein originated from one AHS serotype and at least one other capsid protein originated from another AHS serotype. Following optimisation of a large scale VLP purification procedure, the safety and immunogenicity of the plant-produced, triple chimeric AHSV-6 VLPs was confirmed in horses, the target species.

CONCLUSIONS

We have successfully shown assembly of single and double chimeric AHSV-7 VLPs, as well as triple chimeric AHSV-6 VLPs, in Nicotiana benthamiana dXT/FT plants. Plant produced chimeric AHSV-6 VLPs were found to be safe for administration into 6 month old foals as well as capable of eliciting a weak neutralizing humoral immune response in these target animals against homologous AHSV virus.

Safety and immunogenicity of plant-produced African horse sickness virus-like particles in horses

African horse sickness (AHS) is caused by multiple serotypes of the dsRNA AHSV and is a major scourge of domestic equids in Africa. While there are well established commercial live attenuated vaccines produced in South Africa, risks associated with these have encouraged attempts to develop new and safer recombinant vaccines. Previously, we reported on the immunogenicity of a plant-produced AHS serotype 5 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine, which stimulated high titres of AHS serotype 5-specific neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs. Here, we report a similar response to the vaccine in horses. This is the first report demonstrating the safety and immunogenicity of plant-produced AHS VLPs in horses.

A single dose of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) VP2 based vaccines provides complete clinical protection in a mouse model

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Baculovirus-expressed AHS-VP2 and MVA-VP2 vaccines were evaluated in mice.

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Clinical protection was complete in mice receiving one or two doses of MVA-VP2.

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Clinical protection complete after two doses of baculovirus-expressed VP2.

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Significant reduction of viraemia in all vaccinated groups.

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Significant levels of immunity were achieved with one dose of either vaccine.

African horse sickness is a severe, often fatal, arboviral disease of equids. The control of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) in endemic countries is based currently on the use of live attenuated vaccines despite some biosafety concerns derived from its biological properties. Thus, experimental vaccination platforms have been developed over the years in order to avoid the biosafety concerns associated with the use of attenuated vaccines.

Various studies showed that baculovirus-expressed AHSV-VP2 or modified Vaccinia Ankara virus expressing AHSV-VP2 (MVA-VP2) induced virus neutralising antibodies and protective immunity in small animals and horses.

AHSV is an antigenically diverse pathogen and immunity against AHS is serotype-specific. Therefore, AHS vaccines for use in endemic countries need to induce an immune response capable of protecting against all existing serotypes. For this reason, current live attenuated vaccines are administered as polyvalent preparations comprising combinations of AHSV attenuated strains of different serotypes.

Previous studies have shown that it is possible to induce cross-reactive virus neutralising antibodies against different serotypes of AHSV by using polyvalent vaccines comprising combinations of either different serotype-specific VP2 proteins, or MVA-VP2 viruses. However, these strategies could be difficult to implement if induction of protective immunity is highly dependent on using a two-dose vaccination regime for each serotype the vaccine intends to protect against.

In our study, we have tested the protective capacity of MVA-VP2 and baculovirus-expressed VP2 vaccines when a single dose was used. Groups of interferon alpha receptor knock-out mice were inoculated with either MVA-VP2 or baculovirus-expressed VP2 vaccines using one dose or the standard two-dose vaccination regime. After vaccination, all four vaccinated groups were challenged with AHSV and clinical responses, lethality and viraemia compared between the groups. Our results show that complete clinical protection was achieved after a single vaccination with either MVA-VP2 or baculovirus sub-unit VP2 vaccines.

Dynamics of African horse sickness virus nucleic acid and antibody in horses following immunization with a commercial polyvalent live attenuated vaccine

African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal disease of equids relevant to the global equine industry. Detection of AHS virus (AHSV) during outbreaks has become more rapid and efficient with the advent of group specific reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (GS RT-qPCR) assays to detect AHSV nucleic acid. Use of GS RT-qPCR together with recently described type specific (TS RT-qPCR) assays cannot only expedite diagnosis of AHS but also facilitate further evaluation of the dynamics of AHSV infection in the equine host. A potential limitation to the application of these assays is that they detect viral nucleic acid originating from any AHS live attenuated vaccine (LAV), which is the vaccine type routinely administered to horses in South Africa. The aim of this study was to contrast the dynamics and duration of the RNAaemia to the serological responses of horses following immunization with a commercial polyvalent AHSV-LAV using GS and TS RT-qPCR assays and serum neutralisation tests. The results of the study showed extended RNAemia in vaccinated horses, and that more horses tested positive on GS RT-qPCR with lower Cq values after receiving the AHSV-LAV containing types 1, 3 and 4 prior to the vaccine containing types 2, 6, 7 and 8, rather than when the vaccine combinations were reversed. Furthermore, lower Cq values were obtained when vaccines were administered 4weeks apart as compared with a longer interval or 12weeks apart. These findings are of particular relevance in regions where AHSV-LAVs are used as the use of these vaccines may complicate the accurate interpretation of diagnostic testing results.