Efficacy of an Adjuvanted Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Spike Protein Vaccine in Dromedary Camels and Alpacas
Danielle R. Adney,
Lingshu Wang,
Neeltje van Doremalen,
Wei Shi,
Yi Zhang,
Wing-Pui Kong,
Megan R. Miller,
Trenton Bushmaker,
Dana Scott,
Emmie de Wit,
Kayvon Modjarrad,
Nikolai Petrovsky,
Barney S. Graham,
Richard A. Bowen,
Vincent J. Munster
Affiliations
Danielle R. Adney
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Lingshu Wang
Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Neeltje van Doremalen
Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
Wei Shi
Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Yi Zhang
Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Wing-Pui Kong
Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Megan R. Miller
Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
Trenton Bushmaker
Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
Dana Scott
Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
Emmie de Wit
Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
Kayvon Modjarrad
Military HIV Research, Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Nikolai Petrovsky
Flinders University and Vaxine Pty Ltd, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
Barney S. Graham
Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Richard A. Bowen
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
Vincent J. Munster
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
MERS-CoV is present in dromedary camels throughout the Middle East and Africa. Dromedary camels are the primary zoonotic reservoir for human infections. Interruption of the zoonotic transmission chain from camels to humans, therefore, may be an effective strategy to control the ongoing MERS-CoV outbreak. Here we show that vaccination with an adjuvanted MERS-CoV Spike protein subunit vaccine confers complete protection from MERS-CoV disease in alpaca and results in reduced and delayed viral shedding in the upper airways of dromedary camels. Protection in alpaca correlates with high serum neutralizing antibody titers. Lower titers of serum neutralizing antibodies correlate with delayed and significantly reduced shedding in the nasal turbinates of dromedary camels. Together, these data indicate that induction of robust neutralizing humoral immune responses by vaccination of naïve animals reduces shedding that potentially could diminish the risk of zoonotic transmission.
