title: Immune response of mice and sheep to bluetongue virus inactivated by gamma irradiation.
abstract: Gamma irradiation is being tested as a means of inactivating bluetongue virus (BTV) for use in vaccines. Exposure of BTV 17 to various levels of irradiation revealed that a dose of approximately 0.6 megarad was required to reduce the virus titer by one log10, or 90%. To test the immunogenicity of irradiated BTV, mouse brain passaged virus and concentrated cell culture passaged virus were inactivated by 6 megarads of gamma irradiation, and vaccines were prepared by emulsifying the virus preparations in equal volumes of a modified incomplete Freund's adjuvant. These vaccines stimulated the production of neutralizing antibodies in mice and sheep, a cell mediated immune response in mice, and a protective immune response in sheep. The results suggest that gamma irradiation would be an effective means of inactivating BTV for the preparation of vaccines.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Swaney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology*; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014765:Viral Vaccines