Protection Against Plague Afforded by Treatment with Polyclonal αLcrV and αF1 Antibodies

Abstract

Plague, initiated by Yersinia pestis infection, is a fatal disease that progresses rapidly and leads to high mortality rates if not treated within a short period of time after onset of symptoms. Antibiotics are effectively used for plague therapy yet antibiotic resistance Y. pestis strains have been reported and therefore alternative therapies are needed. In this study we demonstrate the ability of rabbit polyclonal antibodies directed against Y. pestis F1 and LcrV antigens to confer protection in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague.