Hendra and Nipah viruses: pathogenesis, animal models and recent breakthroughs in vaccination

Abstract:

Hendra and Nipah viruses are two highly pathogenic zoonotic members of the genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae, requiring work under biosafety level 4 conditions due to a lack of effective therapy and human vaccines. Several vaccine candidates were protective in animal models: recombinant vaccinia virus expressing Nipah virus (NiV) F and G proteins in hamsters against NiV; recombinant ALVAC–NiV F and G in swine against NiV; recombinant Hendra virus (HeV) soluble G protein (sG_HeV) against HeV and NiV in cats, ferrets, horses, and African green monkeys (AGM); recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vectors expressing NiV F or G against NiV in hamsters and ferrets; measles virus-based NiV G vaccine candidate in hamsters and AGMs against NiV; and adenoassociated virus expressing NiG protein, which protected hamsters against NiV. The sG_HeV was licensed for use in horses (Equivac HeV^®) in 2012. It is the first vaccine candidate licensed against a biosafety level 4 agent. With the development of suitable animal models (ferret, hamster and, importantly, AGM), progress can be made toward development of a human vaccine.

Keywords::

• henipavirus
• equine
• swine
• human infection
• animal models
• vaccine candidates

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr B Pickering for inputs into the Reference section and Figure 1.

Disclosure

The contents and opinions expressed in this review are solely the responsibility of the author. The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.