title: A ML29 reassortant virus protects guinea pigs against a distantly related Nigerian strain of Lassa virus and can provide sterilizing immunity.
abstract: Lassa virus (LASV) is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in West Africa annually. Genetic diversity among LASV strains is the highest among the Arenaviridae and represents a great challenge for vaccine development. Guinea pigs vaccinated with a ML29 reassortant vaccine experienced sterilizing immunity and complete protection when challenged on day 30 either with homologous virus or with the distantly related Nigerian isolate. Simultaneous vaccination-challenge or challenge on day 2 after vaccination also protected 60-100% of the animals against both strains, but without sterilizing immunity. These results indicate that simultaneous replication of ML29 and LASV attenuates the virulence of LASV infection.
authors.affiliation: Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carrion
authors.forename: Jean L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Curtis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: Carmen R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Anysha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ticer
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brasky
authors.forename: Gene B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moshkoff
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zapata
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Salvato
authors.forename: Igor S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lukashevich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007835:Lassa Fever / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D007836:Lassa virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009549:Nigeria; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014765:Viral Vaccines