Serological survey on canine coronavirus antibodies in giant pandas by virus neutralization test

In order to survey the infectious situation of canine coronavirus (CCV) in giant panda population, a virus neutralization test detecting specific antibodies against CCV in giant panda抯 sera was established by using two-fold dilutions of serum and 100 TCID50 of the virus. The 62 sera samples of giant pandas, which were gathered from zoos and reserve region of Sichuan Province, China were detected. The neutralization antibody titer of 1:4 was recognized as the positive criterion, 8 sera samples were detected to be positive, and the positive rate was 12.9%. The titers of neutralizing antibody ranged from 1:8 to 1:32. It was the first comprehensive investigation on neutralization antibodies against CCV in giant panda population in China. The results of study showed that the infection of CCV in giant panda population was universal, which has posed a threat to the health of giant panda. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to study safe and effective vaccines to protect giant panda against CCV infection.

Serological Investigation into the Infected Genotypes of Patients with Japanese Encephalitis in the Coastal Provinces of China

Objective Genotypes(G)1,3,and 5 of the Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV)have been isolated in China,but the dominant genotype circulating in Chinese coastal areas remains unknown.We searched for G5 JEV-infected cases and attempted to elucidate which JEV genotype was most closely related to human Japanese encephalitis(JE)in the coastal provinces of China.Methods In this study,we collected serum specimens from patients with JE in three coastal provinces of China(Guangdong,Zhejiang,and Shandong)from 2018 to 2020 and conducted JEV cross-neutralization tests against G1,G3,and G5.Results Acute serum specimens from clinically reported JE cases were obtained for laboratory confirmation from hospitals in Shandong(92 patients),Zhejiang(192 patients),and Guangdong(77 patients),China,from 2018 to 2020.Seventy of the 361 serum specimens were laboratory-confirmed to be infected with JEV.Two cases were confirmed to be infected with G1 JEV,32 with G3 JEV,and two with G5 JEV.Conclusion G3 was the primary infection genotype among JE cases with a definite infection genotype,and the infection caused by G5 JEV was confirmed serologically in China.

Protectivity of Freeze Dried Inactivated Rift Valley Fever Vaccine

Background: Vaccinations for animals are crucial for food production, animal welfare, public health, and animal health. They are an affordable way to stop animal sickness, increase food production efficiency, and lessen or stop the spread of zoonotic diseases to humans. Animal vaccines that are both safe and efficacious are vital to modern culture. The vaccine should induce a strong, protective and prolonged immune response against the antigenic factor. In order to achieve these goals, novel vaccination techniques and an efficient adjuvant are required to render the vaccine immunogenically protective and trigger a strong immune response. Aim: Our study aims to promote and enhance the immunogenicity against RVF virus disease through lyophilized inactivated RVF vaccine through induction of early cellular, high and prolonged humeral immunity in vaccinated animals using cabopol as stabilizer and Saponin or normal saline as a diluent at time of vaccination. Moreover, manufacturing of these vaccines is easy to be done. Results: The gained results revealed that RVF freeze-dried vaccine with Carbopol that reconstituted using Saponin elicited better immune response than that reconstituted using normal saline (NaCl). The cell mediated immune response as represented by lymphocyte blastogenesis and phagocytic activity were markedly increased with high levels when we used Saponin as a diluent than that in group vaccinated with vaccine diluted with NaCl, on the other side the humeral immune response in group vaccinated using the Saponin as diluent is more detected and stayed within the protective level till the end of 11th month post vaccination (1.5 TCID50) while the immune response induced after using normal saline as a diluent stayed within the protective level till the end of 10th month post vaccination (1.8 TCID50). Conclusion: The use of Saponin as a diluent for reconstitution of the freeze dried RVF vaccine is preferable than the use of normal saline enhancing both sheep cellular and humeral immune response.

Recent Developments in SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Detection Methods

The ongoing Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic has likely changed the world in ways not seen in the past.Neutralizing antibody(NAb)assays play an important role in the management of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2)outbreak.Using these tools,we can assess the presence and duration of antibody-mediated protection in naturally infected individuals,screen convalescent plasma preparations for donation,test the efficacy of immunotherapy,and analyze NAb titers and persistence after vaccination to predict vaccine-induced protective effects.This review briefly summarizes the various methods used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 NAbs and compares their advantages and disadvantages to facilitate their development and clinical application.

Serological Survey of Zika Virus in Humans and Animals in Dejiang Prefecture, Guizhou Province,China

Objective The current outbreak of Zika virus(ZIKV)poses a severe threat to human health.Two ZIKV strains were isolated from mosquitoes collected from the Dejiang prefecture in China in 2016,which was the first isolation of ZIKV in nature in China.Methods In this study,serum samples were collected from 366 healthy individuals and 104 animals from Dejiang prefecture in 2017,and the plaque reduction neutralization test(PRNT)was used to evaluate the seroprevalence of ZIKV.Results None of the 366 residents from whom the samples were collected were seropositive for ZIKV.None of the 11 pigs from whom the samples were collected were seropositive for ZIKV,while 1 of 63(1.59%)chickens and 2 of 30(6.67%)sheep were seropositive for ZIKV.Conclusions The extremely low seropositivity rate of ZIKV antibodies in animals in the Dejiang prefecture,Guizhou province in this study indicates that ZIKV can infect animals;however,there is a low risk of ZIKV circulating in the local population.

Canine Herpesvirus Seroprevalence and Associated Factors in Dogs of Mexico

Canine herpesvirus (CHV-1) causes disease associated with high mortality in infect-ed puppies, which represents large financial losses for dog breeders. Since CHV-1 at the time of the study he had not been reported in Mexico, the main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies against CHV-1 in canine kennels in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. A commercial enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) was used, and the results were compared to those of a viral neutralization test. The ELISA kit uses the complete viral particle as the antigen. The plaque reduction neutralization test was combined with the immunoperoxidase technique because of the low cytopathic effect of CHV-1. Neutralizing antibodies were also detected in 20 randomly selected samples. The prevalence of CHV-1 with ELISA was 87%. The concordance between ELISA and serum neutralization (SN) was 0.1129, the sensitivity of the ELISA against SN was 1.0 (100%), the positive predic-tive value was 0.39 (39%), and the negative predictive value was 1 (100%). These results show that ELISA is useful for monitoring the dog population for CHV-1;a positive test result requires confirmation with an SN test, and a negative ELISA result indicates a high probability of being SN-negative. The only variables that were sta-tistically associated with CHV-1 prevalence were breed and kennel. A statistically significant relationship between the degree of ELISA and SN titer was obtained, with a confidence level of 95%. None of the clinical presentation factors was statistically significant. These results suggest that most of the canine population studied in Mex-ico is in a herpesvirus latency state.

Establishment of animal model for potency evaluationof inactivated SARS virus experimental vaccine

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of source virus strain for the manufacture of the inactivated SARS virus vaccine, and establish an experimental method and preliminary standard for potency evaluation. Mice were divided into groups for being immunized with corresponding serially diluted experimental SARS virus inactivated vaccine. And the rabbits were immunized with undiluted vaccine. Challenge assay was conducted with a heterologous SARS virus. And the neutralization antibody was determined with plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), to which the neutralization antibody in the convalescent serum of SARS patients was compared. The experimental vaccine viral strains were proved to be suitable for manufacturing the vaccine. Mice immunized by vaccines of serial dilutions were able to elicit neutralizing antibody. The antibody titer from mice immunized with the undiluted vaccine could reach up to 1∶495.2, while those of rabbits immunized with the undiluted vaccine could reach a GMT of 55.0-79.9. The capability of the antibody to neutralize the virus from Guangdong is more efficient than that from Beijing. The GMT of neutralizing antibody in SARS convalescents living in south and north China ranged from 50.12 to 54.95, and the titers of convalescents from north China were higher than those from south China. Mice and rabbits used as the model for evaluation of potency are of sensitivity, and the test is of reproducibility. The candidate challenge viral strains showed a relatively consistent effect on evaluating antibodies produced by various batches and different vaccine-source strains, hence they can be used to evaluate potency of the vaccine. The method for testing the vaccine potency and the evaluation standard was established preliminarily.

Humoral immune responses in rabbits induced by an experimental inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus vaccine prepared from F69 strain

BACKGROUND: The etiologic agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been confirmed to be a novel coronavirus (CoV), namely SARS-CoV. Developing safe and effective SARS-CoV vaccines is essential for us to prevent the possible reemergence of its epidemic. Previous experiences indicate that inactivated vaccine is conventional and more hopeful to be successfully developed. Immunogenicity evaluation of an experimental inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine in rabbits was conducted and reported in this paper. METHODS: The large-scale cultured SARS-CoV F69 strain was inactivated with 0.4% formaldehyde and purified, then used as the immunogen combined with Freund's adjuvant. Eight adult New Zealand rabbits were immunized four times with this experimental inactivated vaccine. Twelve sets of rabbit serum were sampled from the third day to the seventy-fourth day after the first vaccination. The titers of specific anti-SARS-CoV IgG antibody were determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the neutralizing antibody titers were detected with micro-cytopathic effect neutralization test. RESULTS: Rapid and potent humoral immune responses were induced by the inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine in all the eight test rabbits. Titers of both specific IgG antibody and neutralizing antibody peaked at about six weeks after first vaccination, with the maximum value of 1:81 920 and 1:20 480, respectively. After that, serum antibody levels remained at a plateau or had a slight decrease, though two boosters were given in the succedent 4 to 5 weeks. Cross neutralization response existed between SARS-CoV F69 strain and Z2-Y3 strain. CONCLUSIONS: The inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine made from F69 strain owns strong immunogenicity, and the cross neutralization response between the two different SARS-CoV strains gives a hint of the similar neutralizing epitopes, which provide stable bases for the development of inactivated SARS-CoV vaccines.

Serologic study on the outbreak of acute upper respiratory tract infections caused by adenovirus 3

From April to June,2004,an outbreak of acute upper respiratory tract infections(AURTI)occurred in the north area of Jiangsu Province,China.Twenty throat swabs were collected with 13 of them presenting an adenovirus(Ad)-like cytopathogenic effect on HEp-2.These were verified as Ad by the electron microscope,direct immunofluorescence assay and Ad primer-mediated PCR.Moreover,they were identified as adenovirus type 3(Ad3)by type-specific PCR and sequencing of the amplification products.Subsequent serologic studies were carried out to finally diagnose and document the outbreak.The neutralization test of paired serum of six in nine cases show obviously increased antibodies titers.The positive rate of IgM,IgG and recovery phase neutralization antibodies of the cases were 3.7%,44.4%and 59.5%respectively while those of the controls were 0%,8.3%and 33.3%respectively.The P values of Chi-Square were 0.510,0.018 and 0.226 respectively.The concordance between IgG detected by ELISA and neutralization anti bodies detected by the neutralization test was 61.4%and the P value of Kappa was 0.070.By the serologic study,we can definitively diagnose that this outbreak of acute respiratory infections was caused by Adenovirus 3.

Detecting SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing immunity: highlighting the potential of split nanoluciferase technology

The coronavirus disease 2019(covID-19)pandemic has progressed over 2 years since its onset causing significant health concerns all over the world and is currently curtailed by mass vaccination.mmunity acquired against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)can be following either infection or vaccination.However,one can never be sure whether the acquired immunity is adequate to protect the individual from subsequent infection because of three important factors:individual variations in humoral response dynamics,waning of protective antibodies over time,and the emergence of immune escape mutants.Therefore,a test that can accurately dfferentiate the protected from the vulnerable is the need of the hour.The plaque reduction neutralization assay is the conventional gold standard test for estimating the titers of neutralizing antibodies that confer protection.However,it has got several drawbacks,which hinder the practical application of this test for wide-scale usage.Hence,various tests have been developed to detect protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 that directly or indirectly assess the presence of neutralizing antibodies to SARS-Cov-2 in a lower biosafety setting.In this review,the pros and cons of the currently available assays are elaborated in detail and special focus is put on the scope of the novel split nanoluciferase technology for detecting SARS-CovV-2 neutralizing antibodies.