Abstract
Rhodococcus equi is a respiratory pathogen which primarily infects foals and is endemic on farms around the world with 50% mortality and 80% morbidity in affected foals. Unless detected early and treated appropriately the disease can be fatal. Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent this disease. For decades researchers have endeavoured to develop an effective vaccine to no avail. In this study a novel human adenoviral vector vaccine for R. equi was developed and tested in the mouse model. This vaccine generated a strong antibody and cytokine response and clearance of R. equi was demonstrated following challenge. These results show that this vaccine could potentially be developed further for use as a vaccine to prevent R. equi disease in foals.
Highlights
Rhodococcus equi (Prescottella equi) [1,2], is a Gram positive, aerobic coccobacillus which primarily infects foals under 6 months of age, causing suppurative bronchopneumonia and pyogranulomatous lesions [3,4,5]
Virulence and intracellular survival of R. equi within the macrophage is regulated by the plasmid bound virulence associated proteins (Vaps) designated A-I and X which are located within a pathogenicity island[10]
The studies in trials 1 and 2 demonstrated that the HAdV-vapA vaccine is capable of inducing a significant immune response when used in a homologous vaccine regime
Summary
Rhodococcus equi (Prescottella equi) [1,2], is a Gram positive, aerobic coccobacillus which primarily infects foals under 6 months of age, causing suppurative bronchopneumonia and pyogranulomatous lesions [3,4,5]. R. equi is known to infect pigs [6] and immunocompromised humans[7]. This bacterium is a common soil saprophyte, has a worldwide distribution and causes an estimated 3% of all foal deaths and has a mortality rate of approximately 50%[8,9]. Virulence and intracellular survival of R. equi within the macrophage is regulated by the plasmid bound virulence associated proteins (Vaps) designated A-I and X which are located within a pathogenicity island[10]. Understanding of the foal immune system is limited and this has slowed vaccine development [17] recent findings have demonstrated the importance of both humoral and cell mediated immune responses
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