Generation of candidate human influenza vaccine strains in cell culture - rehearsing the European response to an H7N1 pandemic threat.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although H5N1 avian influenza viruses pose the most obvious imminent pandemic threat, there have been several recent zoonotic incidents involving transmission of H7 viruses to humans. Vaccines are the primary public health defense against pandemics, but reliance on embryonated chickens eggs to propagate vaccine and logistic problems posed by the use of new technology may slow our ability to respond rapidly in a pandemic situation.

Objectives

We sought to generate an H7 candidate vaccine virus suitable for administration to humans whose generation and amplification avoided the use of eggs.

Methods

We generated a suitable H7 vaccine virus by reverse genetics. This virus, known as RD3, comprises the internal genes of A/Puerto Rico/8/34 with surface antigens of

SUBMITTER: Whiteley A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4634536 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature