Duration of protective immunity after a single vaccination with a live attenuated bivalent bluetongue vaccine.

Abstract

The prevention of bluetongue is typically achieved with mono- or polyvalent modified- live-attenuated virus (MLV) vaccines. MLV vaccines typically elicit a strong antibody response that correlates directly with their ability to replicate in the vaccinated animal. They are inexpensive, stimulate protective immunity after a single inoculation, and have been proven effective in preventing clinical bluetongue disease. In this study, we evaluated the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a bluetongue vaccine against Bluetongue virus serotypes 4 and 16 in sheep. All the animals remained clinically healthy during the observation period. The vaccinated animals showed no clinical signs except fever (>40.8 °C) for 2-4 days. Rapid seroconversion was observed in the sheep, with the accumulation of high antibody titers in the vaccinated animals. No animal became ill after the challenge, indicating that effective protection was achieved. Therefore, this vaccine, prepared from attenuated bluetongue virus strains, is safe, immunogenic, and efficacious.