Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.vetsweb.com/news/dutch-develop-new-vaccines-against-upcoming-rift-valley-fever-880.html
Dutch develop new vaccines against upcoming Rift Valley Fever
//09 Feb 2010
The Central Veterinary Institute in the Netherlands has developed two candidate vaccines to protect animals (and possible also humans) against the Rift Valley fever virus ? a virus that can be deadly for ruminants and tends to be moving from Africa to Europe.
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that primarily affects animals but also has the capacity to infect humans. Infection can cause severe disease in both animals and humans, leading to high rates of disease and death. The disease also results in significant economic losses due to death and abortion among RVF-infected livestock.
?It is better to prevent the outbreak of a new disease instead of acting afterwards" according to researcher Rob Moormann. "It is a matter of time that the disease reaches Europe. Through climate change, international trade and tourism the virus can be introduced from Africa to Europe" explains Moormann. Moormann and its team have built in a protein (produced by the Rift Valley virus) in a Newcastle disease vaccine.
Moormann and co-workers are publishing in this month's issue of the Journal Vaccine that this vaccine induced an immune response against the virus protein in calves. He thinks that a one shot vaccination gives enough protection in the animals, A test in sheep that is planned for later in the year should confirm this.
Patent
The Dutch Institute has requested a patent for this finding and will discuss the commercial developement of the vaccine qith pharmaceutical comapnies. There are already vaccines against Rift Valley Fever on the market; one is based on a living but weakened Rift Valley fever virus. This vaccine however is not safe for young and pregnant animals. A second existing vaccine is based on an inactivated virus. However, this is not powerful enough to protect the animals to the fullest. ?For humans, there is no vaccine on the market, says Moormann".
In another article in Vaccine the researchers teamed up with researchers from the Veterinary Faculty in Utrecht and report on research they did to develop a similar vaccine based on cells of insects. This vaccine is possibly not suitable for humans.
Moormann expects that it will take another 4 year before the new vaccine for veterinary use hits the European market. Maybe the registration in Africa can be done sooner, says Moormann.
Dutch develop new vaccines against upcoming Rift Valley Fever
//09 Feb 2010
The Central Veterinary Institute in the Netherlands has developed two candidate vaccines to protect animals (and possible also humans) against the Rift Valley fever virus ? a virus that can be deadly for ruminants and tends to be moving from Africa to Europe.
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that primarily affects animals but also has the capacity to infect humans. Infection can cause severe disease in both animals and humans, leading to high rates of disease and death. The disease also results in significant economic losses due to death and abortion among RVF-infected livestock.
?It is better to prevent the outbreak of a new disease instead of acting afterwards" according to researcher Rob Moormann. "It is a matter of time that the disease reaches Europe. Through climate change, international trade and tourism the virus can be introduced from Africa to Europe" explains Moormann. Moormann and its team have built in a protein (produced by the Rift Valley virus) in a Newcastle disease vaccine.
Moormann and co-workers are publishing in this month's issue of the Journal Vaccine that this vaccine induced an immune response against the virus protein in calves. He thinks that a one shot vaccination gives enough protection in the animals, A test in sheep that is planned for later in the year should confirm this.
Patent
The Dutch Institute has requested a patent for this finding and will discuss the commercial developement of the vaccine qith pharmaceutical comapnies. There are already vaccines against Rift Valley Fever on the market; one is based on a living but weakened Rift Valley fever virus. This vaccine however is not safe for young and pregnant animals. A second existing vaccine is based on an inactivated virus. However, this is not powerful enough to protect the animals to the fullest. ?For humans, there is no vaccine on the market, says Moormann".
In another article in Vaccine the researchers teamed up with researchers from the Veterinary Faculty in Utrecht and report on research they did to develop a similar vaccine based on cells of insects. This vaccine is possibly not suitable for humans.
Moormann expects that it will take another 4 year before the new vaccine for veterinary use hits the European market. Maybe the registration in Africa can be done sooner, says Moormann.