Aerosol prime-boost vaccination provides strong protection in outbred rabbits against virulent type A Francisella tularensis.

ABSTRACT: Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is a severe zoonotic disease in humans caused by the gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis (Ft). While there have been a number of attempts to develop a vaccine for Ft, few candidates have advanced beyond experiments in inbred mice. We report here that a prime-boost strategy with aerosol delivery of recombinant live attenuated candidate Ft S4ΔaroD offers significant protection (83% survival) in an outbred animal model, New Zealand White rabbits, against aerosol challenge with 248 cfu (11 LD50) of virulent type A Ft SCHU S4. Surviving rabbits given two doses of the attenuated strains by aerosol did not exhibit substantial post-challenge fevers, changes in erythrocyte sedimentation rate or in complete blood counts. At a higher challenge dose (3

SUBMITTER: O'Malley KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6197691 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature