title: Induction of protective immunity in a Syrian hamster model against a cytopathogenic strain of Andes virus.
abstract: Andes virus (ANDV) is responsible for the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome cases in Argentina and neighboring countries, with moderate to high case-fatality rates. ANDV has some particular features, which make it unique among other members of the Hantavirus genus such as person-to-person transmission and causing a disease similar to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in the hamster as an animal model. The kinetics of replication in Vero E6 cells of an ANDV strain isolated in Argentina, called Andes/ARG, was studied. Cytopathic effect and the formation of clear plaques were observed and therefore Andes/ARG could be quantified by classic plaque assay. The Andes/ARG strain was found to be highly lethal in Syrian hamsters allowing experiments to demonstrate the protective potential of vaccines. A recombinant nucleocapsid protein of ANDV induced a long lasting antibody response and protective immunity against a homologous challenge, but to a lower extent against heterologous challenge by the Seoul virus.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud Dr. C. G. Malbrán, Argentina. pmartinez@anlis.gov.ar
authors.forename: Valeria Paula
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Paula Julieta
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Padula
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D029263:Seoul virus / Q000276:immunology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014709:Vero Cells; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral