Developments in Swine Fever Vaccines
Swine fever, also known as hog cholera, is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and feral pigs. The disease is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, weakness and abortion in sows. Mortality rates from classical swine fever can be up to 100% if left untreated. The causative agent is classical swine fever virus (CSFV), a pestivirus in the Flaviviridae family. While control measures such as quarantine, movement restrictions and slaughter have helped curb outbreaks, vaccination represents a more effective long-term strategy. Here we discuss recent progress in swine fever vaccine development.
Live-Attenuated Vaccines
Conventionally, live-attenuated CSFV strains have been used as vaccines. However, concerns over reversion to virulence necessitated research into safer alternatives. In recent years, novel marker vaccine candidates with gene deletions or substitutions have shown promise. Swine Fever Vaccine
, deletion of CSFV Npro coding sequences led to attenuated strains unable to cause disease while still eliciting protective immunity post-vaccination. Field trials confirmed comparable levels of protection to conventional vaccines with no evidence of reversion. Ongoing studies aim to further characterize immune responses and fine-tune attenuation profiles of these next-gen live vaccines.
Subunit Vaccines
Another approach utilizes recombinant subunit vaccines containing only specific viral antigens rather than whole infectious particles. Studies identified the E2 glycoprotein as the major inducer of neutralizing antibodies during infection. Thus, E2-based subunit vaccines present a non-replicating yet immunogenic format. Research has focused on optimizing E2 production through various expression systems including insect, yeast, plant and mammalian cells. Promising results from initial small/large animal studies underscore the potential of these genetically stable vaccines to complement or replace current vaccines. Larger field trials will help assess their practical effectiveness.
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