Evaluation of the European tick‐borne encephalitis vaccine against Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus

Abstract

This study focused on the antigenic cross-reactivity between tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV) to assess the efficacy of the commercial TBE vaccine against OHFV infection. Neutralization tests performed on sera from OHFV- and TBEV-infected mice showed that neutralizing antibodies are cross-protective. The geometric mean titers of antibodies against TBEV and OHFV from TBEV-infected mice were similar. However, the titers of anti-TBEV antibodies in OHFV-infected mice were significantly lower than those of anti-OHFV antibodies in the same animals. In mouse vaccination and challenge tests, the TBE vaccine provided 100% protection against OHFV infection. Eighty-six percent of vaccinees seroconverted against OHFV following complete vaccination, and the geometric mean titers of neutralizing antibodies against OHFV were comparable to those against TBEV. These data suggest that the TBE vaccine can prevent OHFV infection.