Evaluation of rabies biologics against Irkut virus isolated in China.
An Irkut virus (IRKV) was recently isolated from a bat in China. The protective ability of rabies biologics available in the Chinese market and experimental biologics against the rabies virus (RABV) and IRKV were assessed in a hamster model via preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) experiments. The results demonstrated that a single dose of rabies vaccine did not induce adequate protection against IRKV infection. However, routine PrEP with three doses of vaccine induced complete protection against IRKV infection. Higher doses of RABV immunoglobulins and alpha interferon were required during PEP to protect hamsters against IRKV versus RABV infection. Experimental recombinant vaccines containing IRKV glycoproteins induced more-reliable protection against IRKV than against RABV infection. Those findings may be explained by limited cross-neutralization of these viruses (confirmed via in vitro tests) in conjunction with antigenic distances between RABV and IRKV. These results indicate that the development and evaluation of new biologics for PrEP and PEP are required to ensure sufficient protection against IRKV infection in China and other territories where this virus is present.
Laboratory of Epidemiology and Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Military Veterinary Research Institute, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Changchun, China.
Ye
Y
Liu
Qi
Q
Chen
Fei
F
Zhang
Shoufeng
S
Zhang
Nan
N
Li
Hai
H
Lian
Ying
Y
Wang
Jinxia
J
Zhang
Rongliang
R
Hu
D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002681:China; D006224:Cricetinae; D056738:Cross Protection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018114:Lyssavirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008647:Mesocricetus; D056990:Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*
D001688:Biological Products; D011819:Rabies Vaccines