Vaccines (Jun 2022)

Cross-Species Transmission of Rabbit Hepatitis E Virus to Pigs and Evaluation of the Protection of a Virus-like Particle Vaccine against Rabbit Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Pigs

  • Sang-Hoon Han,
  • Hee-Seop Ahn,
  • Hyeon-Jeong Go,
  • Dong-Hwi Kim,
  • Da-Yoon Kim,
  • Jae-Hyeong Kim,
  • Kyu-Beom Lim,
  • Joong-Bok Lee,
  • Seung-Yong Park,
  • Chang-Seon Song,
  • Sang-Won Lee,
  • Yang-Kyu Choi,
  • In-Soo Choi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10071053
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 7
p. 1053

Abstract

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We investigated the cross-species transmission of rabbit hepatitis E virus (rb HEV) to pigs and evaluated the cross-protection of a swine (sw) HEV-3 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against rb HEV infection in pigs. Twelve 4-week-old conventional pigs were divided into negative control (n = 3), positive control (rb HEV-infected, n = 4), and vaccinated (vaccinated and rb HEV-challenged, n = 5) groups. The vaccine was administered at weeks 0 and 2, and viral challenge was conducted at week 4. Serum HEV RNA, anti-HEV antibody, cytokine, and liver enzyme levels were determined. Histopathological lesions were examined in abdominal organs. Viral RNA was detected and increased anti-HEV antibody and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were observed in positive control pigs; liver fibrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration in the lamina propria of the small intestine and shortened small intestine villi were also observed. In vaccinated pigs, anti-HEV antibody and Th1 cytokine level elevations were observed after the second vaccination; viral RNA was not detected, and ALT level elevations were not observed. The results verified the cross-species transmission of rb HEV to pigs and cross-protection of the sw HEV-3 VLP vaccine against rb HEV infection in pigs. This vaccine may be used for cross-protection against HEV infection in other species.

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