WEST NILE VACCINE FOR NON-HUMAN PRIMATES

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The goal of this project is to test a candidate vesicular stomatitis vaccine for protection of rhesus macaques against West Nile Virus (WNV) infrection. At the TNPRC 36% of the outdoor non-human primate (NHP) colony were found to be antibody positive for WNV. Comparisons of store samples indicated that the animals had been infected in 2002. These data indicate that a vaccine would be helpful in protecting NHP colonies from infection. Six Indian rhesus macaques were assigned to this project. Two animals were inoculated IV with WNV in 2006 and re-challenged in 2007. Blood samples were collected prior to and post inoculation to monitor disease progression using RT-PCR and antibody assays. CSF was collected from both animals, lymph node biopsies were collected from one animal. The immune response to WNV infection was monitored. For the vaccination challenge arm of the project, four animals were vaccinated in May of 2007 and boosted 30 days later. All four animals were challenged on 30 days later. Although antibody was detected, the low pathegenecity of WNV in rhesus precluded an evaluation of vaccine efficacy. Results with VSV-vector in mice were published.