Complete Protection Research Articles

The immunogenicity of PRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5 three-gene-deleted vaccine in mice

BackgroundPseudorabies (PR) caused by the re-emerging of pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant has outbroken among PRV vaccine immunized swine in many pig farms, which has caused serious social and economic consequences since the end of 2011. The PRV UL49.5 protein can inactivate the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP), thereby downregulating the cell surface expression of swine leukocyte antigen class I (SLA-I) to evade host immune surveillance.MethodsIn this study, based on the PRV ΔgE/TK strain, PRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5 triple gene deletion strain was constructed through homologous recombination and deletion of the PRV UL49.5 gene by the Cre-LoxP system. Its growth curve and effect on SLA-I transcription level were determined. Preliminary studies were carried out on serum neutralizing antibody levels, IFN-γ and IL-4 cytokines levels in mice immunized with PRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5, and the viral load and challenge protection in mice tissues after challenge.ResultsThe growth characteristics of PRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5 strain were similar to those of PRV ΔgE/TK strain. The level of SLA-I was returned to normal after the deletion of PRV UL49.5 gene. The immunization of PRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5 did not affect the weight gain of mice. Immunized mice could induce high levels of serum neutralization antibodies and immune cytokines, including IFN-γ and IL-4, which could provide complete protection against virulent PRV challenge. No obvious pathological damage was observed in lung, brain and trigeminal ganglion of mice immunized with PRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5, and the tissue viral load was the lowest.ConclusionsPRV ΔgE/TK/UL49.5 strain can induce enhanced immunogenicity and had the potential to be used as a candidate strain.

Cross-protection against homo and heterologous influenza viruses via intranasal administration of an HA chimeric multiepitope nanoparticle vaccine

BackgroundInfluenza A viruses (IAVs) cause seasonal influenza epidemics and pose significant threats to public health. However, seasonal influenza vaccines often elicit strain-specific immune responses and confer little protection against mismatched strains. There is an urgent need to develop universal influenza vaccines against emerging and potentially re-emerging influenza virus infections. Multiepitope vaccines combining multiple conserved epitopes can induce more robust and broader immune responses and provide a potential solution.ResultsHere, we demonstrated that an HA chimeric multiepitope nanoparticle vaccine, delivered intranasally conferred broad protection against challenges with various influenza viruses in mice. The nanoparticle vaccine co-expresses the ectodomain of haemagglutinin (H), three repeated highly conserved ectodomains of matrix protein 2 (M), and the M-cell-targeting ligand Co4B (C) in a baculovirus-insect cell system. These elements (C, H and M) were presented on the surface of self-assembling ferritin (f) in tandem to generate a nanoparticle denoted as CHM-f. Intranasal vaccination with CHM-f nanoparticles elicited robust humoral and cellular immune responses, conferring complete protection against a variety of IAVs, including the A/PR8/34 H1N1 strain, the swine flu H3N2 strain, the avian flu H5N8 strain, and H9N2. When CHM-f nanoparticles adjuvanted with CpG IAMA-002, the weight loss protective effect, cellular immune responses and mucosal IgA responses were significantly augmented. Compared with controls, mice immunized with CHM-f nanoparticles with or without CpG IAMA-002 showed significant reductions in weight loss, lung viral titres and pathological changes.ConclusionsThese results suggest that CHM-f nanoparticle with or without CpG IAMA-002 is a promising candidate as a universal influenza vaccine.Graphical

Spray vaccination with a safe and bivalent H9N2 recombinant chimeric NDV vector vaccine elicits complete protection against NDV and H9N2 AIV challenge

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) represent significant pathogenic risks to the poultry industry, leading to considerable economic losses. Vaccination is a widely used preventive measure against these pathogens, yet the lack of a live bivalent vaccine targeting NDV and H9N2 AIV imposes a heavy vaccination burden. Previously, we constructed a genotype-matched chimeric NDV vector, LX-OAI4S, in which the genotype I NDV backbone was replaced with the ectodomain of haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and modified using the attenuated F gene from the genotype VII vaccine strain A-VII. Based on the LX-OAI4S vector, we successfully generated three H9N2 recombinant viruses: LX-OAI4S-NPU-HA, LX-OAI4S-MU-HA, and LX-OAI4S-HNU-HA. These recombinants incorporated the H9N2 HA gene, flanked by untranslated regions (UTRs) from the NP, M, or HN gene of the NDV LX strain, inserted between the P and M genes of LX-OAI4S. The vaccine candidate LX-OAI4S-NPU-HA induced a more robust immune response in chickens against H9N2 AIV and NDV than the other two recombinants. This response effectively protects against virus shedding and lethal virus challenge. Furthermore, spray vaccination with LX-OAI4S-NPU-HA showed protective efficacy against H9N2 AIV and NDV. This study offers a promising strategy for comprehensive protection in regions threatened by H9N2 AIV and NDV.

Virological survey of walk-in plastic tunnel grown pepper seedlings and forced pepper varieties in Western Hungary in 2023-2024

Peppers can be infected by approximately 50 plant viruses of which the most common species causing significant economic losses in Hungary are Potato virus Y (PVY) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in outdoor cultivation and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and tobamoviruses in indoor cultivation. In addition to vectors’ activity, the infected propagating material also plays a very important role in the spread of pepper infecting viruses. Thus, besides the use of virus-free propagating material and effective protection against vectors, the cultivation of virus-resistant varieties and application of hygiene regulations are essential in the control of pepper viruses. Even with the most precise cultivation techniques, virus infections can occur during indoor cultivation, not only in plantations which are already producing but also in seedling nurseries, therefore monitoring these is crucial to achieve virus-free fruiting pepper stand. In 2023–2024, virological survey of pepper seedlings and fruiting plants collected from two horticultural farms in Zala county and grown in walk-in plastic tunnel was performed using RT-PCR technique to test leaf and fruit samples. During the analysis only the presence of TSWV was identified in 13 samples, while infection of CMV, PVY and tobamoviruses was not detected. It is interesting to highlight that TSWV was detected, despite the black necrosis that developed, in the fruits of the TSWV resistance gene carrying pepper cultivars Antal F1 and Zalkod F1.These results indicate that the use of TSWV resistant pepper varieties or hybrids does not provide complete protection against TSWV damage as symptoms may also appear on resistant individuals not only on susceptible ones due to the vectors’ activity. Therefore, monitoring the vectors that can transmit TSWV and timely control them are essential for indoor pepper cultivation. Without these even TSWV resistant plants will not be able to produce marketable crop.

Avian influenza mRNA vaccine encoding hemagglutinin provides complete protection against divergent H5N1 viruses in specific-pathogen-free chickens

BackgroundThe rapid mutation of avian influenza virus (AIV) poses a significant threat to both the poultry industry and public health. Herein, we have successfully developed an mRNA-LNPs candidate vaccine for H5 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza and evaluated its immunogenicity and protective efficacy.ResultsIn experiments on BALB/c mice, the vaccine candidate elicited strong humoral and a certain cellular immune responses and protected mice from the heterologous AIV challenge. Antibody and splenocyte passive transfer assays in mice suggested that antibodies played a crucial role in providing protection. Experiments involving SPF chickens have revealed that two doses of the 5 µg vaccine candidate in this study provided 100% complete protection against homologous strains, but only 50% complete protection against heterologous strains. Even immunization with two doses of the 15 µg vaccine candidate resulted in 90% complete protection against heterologous strains. To enhance the immune efficacy of the candidate vaccine, we designed 6 sequences with different secondary structures and screened out the candidate sequence with the highest expression (SY2-HA mRNA). Experiments on SPF chickens showed that two doses of 5 µg SY2-HA mRNA-LNP vaccine provided 100% complete protection against homologous and heterologous H5N1 AIV strains. Immunization tests with the SY2-HA mRNA-LNP vaccine were repeated in the SPF chicken model, inducing antibody production levels that are consistent with previous tests and providing 100% complete protection against both homologous and heterologous strains of the virus, indicating that the vaccine has a stable immune efficacy.ConclusionsThe vaccine developed in this study provides complete protection against divergent H5N1 AIV strains in chickens, offering a promising approach for the future development of mRNA vaccines against multivalent avian influenza subtypes.Graphical

A Modular Bacteriophage T4 Nanoparticle Platform Enables Rapid Design of Dual COVID‐19‐Flu Mucosal Vaccines

A multivalent, rapidly deployable, mucosal vaccine platform is desperately needed to prevent acquisition and transmission of respiratory infections during epidemics and pandemics. No such approved platform currently exists and virtually all under investigation use infectious viruses that have safety concerns and are not amenable for multivalent engineering. Herein, a non‐infectious biomaterial platform is presented, the bacteriophage T4 nanoparticle endowed with unique features for modular engineering, which is exploited to design dual COVID‐Flu mucosal vaccines. By leveraging T4's natural affinity to nasal mucosa, in vivo CRISPR engineering, and in vitro SpyCatcher‐SpyTag conjugation, hundreds of antigen molecules are incorporated from SARS‐CoV‐2 and influenza viruses into one nanoparticle. These include spike and hemagglutinin trimers and M2e peptides decorating the capsid while encapsulating matrix or nucleocapsid proteins inside, thereby achieving unprecedented antigen density and diversity, a pinnacle nanoparticle design. Intranasal administration of this adjuvant‐free T4‐CoV‐Flu vaccine induces remarkable mucosal immunity against both respiratory pathogens, including high‐titer neutralizing antibodies and secretory IgA, lung‐resident CD4+/CD8+ T cells, diverse memory B cells, and complete protection against SARS‐CoV‐2 and influenza challenges. Coupled with its scalability in bacterial systems, thermostability, and adjuvant‐ and needle‐free delivery, T4 presents an extraordinary platform to design potent mucosal vaccines against pandemic threats.

Improved Protective Efficacy in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Against Vibrio anguillarum Through Immunization with a Combination of Formalin-Killed and Auxotrophic-Live V. anguillarum.

Vibriosis caused by Vibrio anguillarum has been an important bacterial disease in cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In the present study, we evaluated the protective efficacy of a vaccine that consists of formalin-killed (FK) V. anguillarum and the alr genes knockout auxotrophic-live (AL) V. anguillarum (Δalr1Δalr2 V. anguillarum). Fish were immunized with a high dose of the FK V. anguillarum vaccine or four different combinations of FK and AL V. anguillarum. In the challenge test, fish immunized with 1 × 106CFU of FK V. anguillarum plus 1 × 104CFU of AL V. anguillarum (FK-106 + AL-104) showed complete protection (100% RPS) against V. anguillarum. In comparison, fish immunized with 1 × 107CFU of FK V. anguillarum (FK-107) showed much lower survival rates. In the result of ELISA, the antibody titer of fish immunized with FK-106 + AL-104 was significantly higher than that of the PBS group, but the titer was not higher than FK-107, suggesting that the higher protection by the FK + AL combination vaccine might be mediated by not only humoral immunity but also other protective factors conferred by live bacteria in the combination vaccine. In conclusion, the present FK + AL combination vaccine efficiently protected rainbow trout with approximately 10 times lower doses of bacteria than FK-107, which could lessen the safety problem caused by a high-tittered live bacteria vaccine and the lower immunogenicity problem of killed bacteria vaccine.

Revisiting the exclusion principle in epidemiology at the limit of a large competitive advantage.

The competitive exclusion principle in epidemiology implies that when competing strains of a pathogen provide complete protection for each other, the strain with the largest reproduction number outcompetes the other strains and drives them to extinction. The introduction of various trade-off mechanisms may facilitate the coexistence of competing strains, especially when their respective basic reproduction numbers are close so that the competition between the strains is weak. Yet, one may expect that a substantial competitive advantage of one of the strains will eventually outbalance trade-off mechanisms driving less competitive strains to extinction. The literature, however, lacks a rigorous validation of this statement. In this work, we challenge the validity of the exclusion principle at a limit in which one strain has a vast competitive advantage over the other strains. We show that when one strain is significantly more transmissible than the others, and under broad conditions, an epidemic system with two strains has a stable endemic equilibrium in which both strains coexist with comparable prevalence. Thus, the competitive exclusion principle does not unconditionally hold beyond the established case of complete immunity.

PROTAR Vaccine 2.0 generates influenza vaccines by degrading multiple viral proteins.

Manipulating viral protein stability using the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) represents a promising approach for developing live-attenuated vaccines. The first-generation proteolysis-targeting (PROTAR) vaccine had limitations, as it incorporates proteasome-targeting degrons (PTDs) at only the terminal ends of viral proteins, potentially restricting its broad application. Here we developed the next-generation PROTAR vaccine approach, referred to as PROTAR 2.0, which enabled flexible incorporation of PTDs at various genomic loci of influenza viruses, including internal regions and terminal ends. The PROTAR 2.0 influenza viruses maintained efficient replication in UPS-deficient cells for large-scale production but were attenuated by PTD-mediated proteasomal degradation of viral proteins in conventional cells. Incorporation of multiple PTDs into one virus generated optimized PROTAR 2.0 vaccine candidates. In animal models, PROTAR 2.0 vaccine candidates were highly attenuated and a single-dose intranasal immunization induced robust and broad immune responses that provided complete cross-reactive protection against both homologous and heterologous viral challenges.

Beyond analgesia: repurposing NSAIDs as a novel strategy in antivenom therapy against Naja nigricollis envenomation

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the potential of repurposing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as antisnake venom agents using experimental and computational approaches.Data descriptionVirtual screening of 20 NSAIDs alongside Varespladib was conducted to obtain three top-scoring drugs (celecoxib, ketorolac, and ketoprofen); the antisnake venom efficacy of the three NSAIDs was evaluated using a combination of in vivo, ex vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches. In vivo and ex vivo experiments in mice, demonstrated that all three drugs exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antisnake venom activity against Naja nigricollis venom in a dose-dependent manner. Ketorolac provided complete protection with a 100% survival rate at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, while celecoxib and ketoprofen showed survival rates ranging from 25 to 75%. The standard antivenom (ASV) also achieved a 100% survival rate at 0.6 mg/mL. Ex vivo results mirrored these findings, with ketorolac showing the highest survival rate (100%) and celecoxib exhibiting the lowest (50%). In vitro, the drugs demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) phospholipase A2 enzyme (PLA2) inhibition, with ketorolac achieving 96.65–99.86% inhibition at 1–0.0125 mg/mL. Molecular docking studies further supported these findings, revealing favorable binding affinities and interactions with key amino acid residues implicated in envenomation. In conclusion, these findings suggest that NSAIDs, particularly ketorolac, hold promise as potential antivenom therapies against Naja nigricollis envenomation, warranting further investigation in clinical studies.

Clade 2.3.4.4b but not historical clade 1 HA replicating RNA vaccine protects against bovine H5N1 challenge in mice

The ongoing circulation of influenza A H5N1 in the United States has raised concerns of a pandemic caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza. Although the United States has stockpiled and is prepared to produce millions of vaccine doses to address an H5N1 pandemic, currently circulating H5N1 viruses contain multiple mutations within the immunodominant head domain of hemagglutinin (HA) compared to the antigens used in stockpiled vaccines. It is unclear if these stockpiled vaccines will need to be updated to match the contemporary H5N1 strains. Here we show that a replicating RNA vaccine expressing the HA of an H5N1 isolated from a US dairy cow confers complete protection against homologous lethal challenge in mice. A repRNA encoding the HA of a clade 1 H5 from 2004 (A/Vietnam/1203/2004) as utilized by some stockpiled vaccines, confers only partial protection. Our data highlight the utility of nucleic acid vaccines to be rapidly updated to match emergent viruses of concern while demonstrating that contemporary bovine H5N1 viruses can evade immunity elicited by historical HA antigens.

Evaluating small extracellular vesicle-based vaccination across heterologous Salmonella strains isolated from wastewater.

Salmonella infections pose significant public health challenges worldwide. The diversity of Salmonella strains, particularly those isolated from environmental and clinical sources, necessitates innovative approaches to prevention and treatment. Previous research has shown that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) produced by macrophages during Salmonella Typhimurium infection can induce robust immune responses when used as a vaccine, offering complete protection in systemic infection models. In this study, we isolated 120 Salmonella strains from qPCR invA-positive wastewater samples collected in Gainesville, FL. These strains underwent enrichment, selection, and biochemical confirmation, followed by serotyping and whole genome sequencing. Two isolates, Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae (Diarizonae) and S. enterica serovar Enteritidis, were selected for further analysis based on community prevalence and clinical severity. We also assessed the ability of sEVs produced by S. Typhimurium-infected macrophages to induce immune responses against these heterologous and circulating strains in mice. Immunization with sEVs induced robust antigen-specific SIgA and IgG responses against S. Typhimurium, Enteritidis, and Diarizonae, with high titers observed in sera and fecal samples. Proteomic analysis revealed differential expression of proteins in these strains, including antigenic proteins present in sEVs such as OmpA, FliC, or OmpD. Moreover, this study highlights the role of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a tool for environmental surveillance, offering a complementary perspective on Salmonella dynamics within a population. Integrating WBE with traditional surveillance methods, along with the promising results of sEV-based vaccination, provides a pragmatic strategy for developing effective preventative measures against Salmonella infections, addressing the diversity of non-typhoidal Salmonella strains.

Repellency of Essential Oils and Plant-Derived Compounds Against Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes.

Plant-based oils have a long history of use as insect repellents. In an earlier study, we showed that in a 10% concentration, geraniol, 2-phenylethl propionate, and the plant-based essential oils clove and cinnamon effectively protected from mosquito bites for over 60 min. To expand on this study, we reanalyzed our GC-MS data to identify the short organic constituents of these oils. We then used an arm-in-cage assay to test the repellency of different concentrations and combinations of these oils and pure compounds. We found a sigmoidal relationship between the complete protection time from mosquito bites and the concentration of these oils. The complete protection times we recorded for combinations of these oils suggest an absence of additive effects. The results of this study can inform the development of novel, effective, and plant-based insect repellents.

FEATURES OF THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS ON THE QUALITY OF PROTECTIVE AND DECORATIVE CHROME COATINGS

The main features of the widespread use of electrolytic chromium coatings are their high chemical resistance and resistance to mechanical wear even with their small thickness. Practically all metal structures protected by electroplating, including chrome-plated ones, are subject to the corrosion process. The main goal in the electrolytic chrome plating process is to maintain the resistance to mechanical wear of the chromium coating. The positive factors causing the preservation of chrome coatings from corrosion damage are the search for new innovative technologies for obtaining particularly resistant chrome coatings. However, even with the high chemical resistance of chromium, complete corrosion protection of hardware products made of iron cannot be achieved. The reason for this undesirable phenomenon lies in the fact that in a pair of chromium-iron, chromium is the anode. Provided that the coating metal is a cathode, then there are favorable conditions for passivation of the base metal and then the coating can protect the base metal not only mechanically, but also electrochemically. To give protective properties to a chrome coating, a preliminary coating of an iron product with another metal is used – copper, nickel, silver, and then a chrome coating. In such cases, it is possible to give strength to the chrome coating even with a thickness of only about The work is devoted to the selection of methods for creating such a surface of the substrate to obtain chrome coatings of a given thickness, non-porous with good adhesion by electrodeposition.

Comparative analysis of the stress and immune responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) inoculated with live and inactivated Piscirickettsia salmonis.

Piscirickettsiosis causes the highest mortality in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farming, and prophylactic treatment has not provided complete protection to date. In this study, we analyzed the immune and metabolic responses of Atlantic salmon inoculated with live and inactivated Piscirickettsia salmonis, monitoring plasma markers related to immune and stress responses. The fish were inoculated with inactivated P. salmonis, live P. salmonis, and culture medium (as control group). Blood and head-kidney samples were collected on days 3, 7, and 14 post-inoculations (dpi). Glucose and lactate levels did not show statistical differences, while cortisol levels increased from day 3 to day 14 in fish inoculated with live P. salmonis and only at 7 dpi in those inoculated with inactivated P. salmonis. Furthermore, anti-P. salmonis IgM-type immunoglobulins increased up to 14 dpi in fish inoculated with live P. salmonis but showed no change in those inoculated with inactivated P. salmonis. Meanwhile, immune markers involved in type I responses (tnfα-1, ifnγ, and cd8β) and regulatory responses (il10, tgfβ-1, and cd4-1) displayed differences between fish inoculated with live and inactivated P. salmonis. In fish inoculated with live P. salmonis, there was a clear pattern of increase at both 3 and 14 dpi, while those inoculated with inactivated P. salmonis showed a greater increase at 3 dpi. Our findings suggest that the nature of antigen may influence humoral immunity (anti-P. salmonis IgM) and the gene expression of markers involved in type I and regulatory immune responses in Atlantic salmon.

Long-Lasting Protection and Dose Optimization of MPXV Polyvalent Mpox mRNA Vaccines Against Lethal Vaccinia Virus Challenge in Mice.

The outbreak of clade II monkeypox virus (MPXV) and the additional outbreak in Central Africa of clade I virus from 2023 have attracted worldwide attention. The development of a scalable and effective vaccine against the ongoing epidemic of mpox is urgently needed. We previously constructed two bivalent MPXV mRNA vaccines, LBA (B6R-A29L) and LAM (A35R-M1R), and a quadrivalent mRNA vaccine, LBAAM (B6R-A35R-A29L-M1R). These vaccines at a 20 µg dose could induce potential MPXV antigen-specific immune responses and provide protection against lethal VACV challenge. Compared with the individual bivalent mRNA vaccines, the two quadrivalent vaccines LBAAM and LBA& LAM displayed superior protective effects. To characterize these vaccines further, we monitored long-term immunity and protection as long as 28 weeks after initial immunization and optimized the immunization dosages to decrease the cost of production for future clinical use. Our results demonstrated that both the bivalent MPXV mRNA vaccine LAM (A35R-M1R) and the two tetravalent vaccines LBAAM and LBA& LAM could elicit long-lasting antigen-specific IgG antibodies as well as neutralizing antibodies against VACV and MPXV. They all provided complete protection against VACV challenge until 28 weeks post prime immunization. Moreover, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the two tetravalent vaccines (LBAAM and LBA& LAM) are dose dependent, and even the low-dose (1 µg) vaccine could provide sufficient protection against lethal VACV challenge. These results provide valuable clues for the further production of MPXV mRNA vaccines for use in humans.

Complete protection of NIR-luminescent molecular rubies from oxygen quenching in air by L-arginine-mediated silica nanoparticles

Complete protection of NIR-luminescent molecular rubies from oxygen quenching in air by L-arginine-mediated silica nanoparticles

The effect and mechanism of sanguinarine against PCV2 based on the analysis of network pharmacology and TMT quantitative proteomics.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is highly prevalent in nature and serves as the primary pathogen responsible for porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVD/PCVAD), posing a significant threat to pig production. Currently, vaccination alone could not provide the complete protection for PCV2 infection. The active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine have shown a positive effect in combating viral infections. This study employed tandem mass tag (TMT) labeled proteomic analyses and network pharmacology to examine the effect and mechanism of sanguinarine against PCV2. IFIH1, IFITM1, p38α, and JNK were identified as the key targets of sanguinarine against PCV2 based on proteomics and network pharmacology. Using PCV2-infected PK-15 cells, it was discovered that sanguinarine inhibited the expression of the PCV2 CAP gene by upregulating IFIH1, thereby promoting STAT1 phosphorylation and activating MAVS expression. This, in turn, facilitated IRF3 phosphorylation, leading to increase IFITM1 expression. Simultaneously, sanguinarine suppressed the expression of the PCV2 CAP gene by inhibiting the expression of p38α, JNK, and p-JNK protein. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that sanguinarine exerts anti-PCV2 effects through different targets and pathways, which lays the foundation for the subsequent development of new anti-PCV2 veterinary drugs.

Природоохоронні інституції Вінниччини другої половини 1940-х – початку 1970-х років

The purpose of the article is to consider the issues of nature protection in Vinnytsia region in the second half of the 1940s and early 1970s. It is shown that during this period, the solution to this problem was seen as the identification of certain valuable natural objects, their withdrawal from the sphere of economic use and complete protection. The research methodology is based on the principle of objectivity and historicism, a systematic approach to the study of historical, environmental and socio-economic phenomena in their development and interrelationships. The use of methods of analysis and synthesis, problematic and thematic, descriptive and historical and chronological approaches allowed the research to optimally solve the research objectives. The scientific novelty lies in the systematic use of a comparative analysis of the work of environmental institutions in Ukraine in general and in Vinnytsia region in particular. Conclusions. It has been established that nature protection was not a priority area of state policy in the USSR, but later the first environmental protection measures began to be implemented. In the 1960s, protected areas and nature reserves began to appear in the Vinnytsia region, and programmes were developed to protect water and soil. However, the impact of these measures was limited due to insufficient funding, lack of a systematic approach, and lack of environmental education.

Construction of the First Russian Recombinant Live Attenuated Vaccine Strain and Evaluation of Its Protection Efficacy Against Two African Swine Fever Virus Heterologous Strains of Serotype 8.

Background/Objectives: The spread of African swine fever virus (ASFV) has led to major economic losses to pork worldwide. In Russia, there are no developed or registered vaccines against ASFV genotype II, which is associated with numerous ASFV outbreaks in populations of domestic pigs and wild boars in the country. Methods: We introduced deletions of the six MGF360 and MGF505 genes of the ASFV virulent Stavropol_01/08 strain, isolated in Russia in 2008. Results: We show here that this deletion did lead to full attenuation of the ASFV virulent Stavropol_01/08 strain. Animals intramuscularly inoculated with 104 HAD50 of ΔMGF360/505_Stav developed a strong immune response and short period of viremia (at 3-7 days post-inoculation). Recombinant ΔMGF360/505_Stav strain provides complete protection of pigs against the ASFV parental Stavropol_01/08 strain (103 HAD50). Therefore, in our experiment, we did not detect the genome of both the virulent and the recombinant strains in the blood and organs post-challenge with the Stavropol_01/08. In contrast, we found only partial protection (40%) of the ΔMGF360/505_Stav-immunized pigs against challenge with the ASFV heterologous Rhodesia strain. Additionally, the surviving animals had a prolonged fever, and their condition was depressed for most of the experiment. Conclusions: Thus, the ASFV recombinant ΔMGF360/505_Stav strain is the first live attenuated vaccine (LAV) in Russia that induces complete protection in pigs challenged with the highly virulent, epidemiologically relevant strains genotype II and serotype 8. However, this ASF LAV is not able to provide a high level of protection against other variants of serotype 8.