Immunization with a polyvalent OspA vaccine protects mice against Ixodes ricinus tick bites infected by Borrelia burgdorferi ss, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii.
Sequence variability of the outer surface protein (Osp) A among Borrelia burgdorferi sl species suggests that a monovalent OspA vaccine may not protect against the various Borrelia present in Eurasia. Here, we confirmed that a monovalent recombinant OspA (rOspA) vaccine does not protect mice against Ixodes ricinus mediated infection with B. burgdorferi ss, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii. However, when mice were vaccinated with a cocktail of various rOspA from these three species, they were protected, and all challenge ticks that fed on them were cleared of their spirochetes. These results showed that a multiple OspA antigens vaccine, compatible with human use, was very efficient at protecting mice against B. burgdorferi ss, B. garinii, and B. afzelii.
Gern
L
L
Institut de Zoologie, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. lise.gern@zool.unine.ch
Hu
C M
CM
Voet
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Hauser
P
P
Lobet
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D008074:Lipoproteins; C072045:OspA protein