Experimental infection of macaques with human metapneumovirus induces transient protective immunity.
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, is a causative agent of acute respiratory-tract illness. Two main hMPV lineages circulate worldwide and reinfections occur frequently. It is unclear what level of protection is induced by natural hMPV infection, what the durability of this protection is and whether it differs for reinfection with homologous or heterologous viruses. Here, protective immunity in cynomolgus macaques at different time points after inoculation with molecularly cloned prototype viruses of the two main lineages of hMPV has been addressed. Animals received a homologous challenge at 4, 6 or 12 weeks after the primary infection. In addition, animals that had been inoculated three times within 10 weeks were challenged with homologous or heterologous virus 8 months later. Primary infection with 10(7) TCID(50) resulted in virus shedding and induction of virus-neutralizing antibody responses, with higher titres against the homologous than the heterologous virus. Infections associated with virus shedding and seroconversion protected completely from homologous reinfection within 6 weeks, and partly at 12 weeks, after primary infection. Eight months later, protection had waned to virtually undetectable levels. This study demonstrates that experimental hMPV infection induces transient protective immunity.
van den Hoogen
Bernadette G
BG
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Herfst
Sander
S
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
de Graaf
Miranda
M
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Sprong
Leo
L
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
van Lavieren
Rob
R
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
van Amerongen
Geert
G
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Yüksel
Selma
S
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Fouchier
Ron A M
RAM
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Osterhaus
Albert D M E
ADME
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
de Swart
Rik L
RL
Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D029121:Metapneumovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009666:Nose / Q000821:virology; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000821:virology; D017201:Virus Shedding
D000914:Antibodies, Viral