Search

The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of inactivated clade 2.3.2.1c (rgKA435) and clade 2.3.4.4c (rgES2) H5Nx vaccines, which are representatives of an avian influenza antigen bank in Korea, were examined in mice. Mice were vaccinated twice and then challenged with homologous virus. Hemagglutinin inhibition and serum neutralizing antibody titers in the rgES2-vaccinated group were higher (4.4 ± 1.7 and 10.8 ± 2.3 log 2 , respectively) than those in the rgKA435-vaccinated group (2.8 ± 1.1 and 2.5 ± 0.9 log 2 , respectively). rgES2 conferred 100% protection, with no morbidity, no severe body weight loss, and no virus replication in any of the tissues tested. By contrast, 80% of mice in the rgKA435 group survived. One mouse in this group died at 10 dpi. Virus titers in the lung and turbinate were 102.5–3.5 TCID 50 /0.1 ml at 3–7 dpi and 101.5 TCID 50 /0.1 ml at 3–5 dpi, respectively. In particular, the viral titer in the turbinate from the rgKA435 group at 3 dpi was significantly lower than that in the equivalent control group (p < 0.05). The data suggest that both of these antigen bank vaccines are promising candidates for further evaluation in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Five inactivated vaccines were generated for Korean AI national antigenic bank for HPAI emergency preparedness. • Vaccines provide good protection in SPF chickens against homologous HPAI virus. • Vaccines produce high immunity from a single dose with sufficient antigen mass. • Vaccines induce long-lasting antibody responses to prevent mortality and virus shedding. The occurrence of severe outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Korea led to establishment of a national antigen bank for emergency preparedness. Here, we developed five vaccines for this bank (clade 2.3.2.1C, clade 2.3.4.4A, B, C, and D) by reverse genetics, inactivated them with formalin, and evaluated the protective efficacy and potency of serial dilutions against lethal homologous challenge in specific-pathogen-free chickens. After vaccination with one dose, each vaccine resulted in 100% survival, with no clinical symptoms, or lack of detectable virus shedding, and high levels of pre-challenge protective immunity (8.4–10.2 log 2). After vaccination with one-tenth of the full dose, protection was similar to that with the full dose. After vaccination with one-hundredth of the initial dose, survival was 20–80%, and all vaccines showed virus shedding. Four vaccines (excluding clade 2.3.2.1C) had satisfactory potency. In antibody-persistence tests, all vaccines maintained long-lasting protective immunity. Our results suggest that inactivated reverse-genetics vaccines genetically matched to outbreak viruses provide adequate protection after a single vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]