Canine distemper virus DNA vaccination of mink can overcome interference by maternal antibodies

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Trine Hammer Jensen
  • Line Nielsen
  • Bent Aasted
  • Cino Pertoldi
  • Merete Blixenkrone-Møller

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is highly contagious and can cause severe disease against which conventional live vaccines are ineffective in the presence of maternal antibodies. Vaccination in the presences of maternal antibodies was challenged by vaccination of 5 days old and 3 weeks old mink kits with CDV DNA vaccines. Virus neutralising (VN) antibody responses were induced in mink kits vaccinated with a plasmid encoding the haemaglutinin protein (H) of CDV (n=5, pCDV-H) or a combination of the H, fusion (F) and nucleoprotein (N) of CDV (n=5, pCDV-HFN). These DNA vaccinated kits were protected against virulent experimental infection with field strains of CDV. The pCDV-H was more efficient in inducing protective immunity in the presence of maternal antibodies compared to the pCDV-HFN. The results show that DNA vaccination with the pCDV-H or pCDV-HFN (n=4) only given once at 5 days of age induces virus specific immune response in neonatal mink and protection against virulent CDV exposure later in life.

Original languageEnglish
JournalVaccine
Volume33
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)1375-1381
Number of pages7
ISSN0264-410X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

ID: 132682872