A strategy to simultaneously eradicate the natural reservoirs of rabies and Ebola virus

Abstract

Evaluation of: Blaney JE, Wirblich C, Papaneri AB et al. Inactivated or live-attenuated bivalent vaccines that confer protection against rabies and Ebola viruses. J. Virol. 85(20), 10605–10616 (2011).

The efficacy of a recombinant live-attenuated or chemically inactivated bivalent vaccine against rabies virus (RABV) and Ebola virus (EBOV) infection was evaluated in a lethal mouse model of infection. The vaccines were derived from the live-attenuated Street Alabama Dufferin B19 RABV platform already approved for veterinary use, where intramuscular, intranasal and intraperitoneal administration of the recombinant vaccines were avirulent in adult mice. Significant levels of serum RABV- and EBOV-specific antibodies were observed postvaccination, with levels that correlated with protection in vaccinated mice post-RABV or -EBOV challenge. These results justify further studies in guinea pigs and nonhuman primates, and highlight a promising strategy to eradicate the natural reservoirs of RABV and EBOV.

Keywords::

• bats
• Ebola virus
• mice
• rabies virus
• reservoir
• transmission
• viral vaccine
• wildlife

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.