Development and Evaluation of a Live Attenuated Egg-Based Camelpox Vaccine

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Vaccinology
• Camel Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Camelpox virus causes significant economic losses in the camel industry across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
• There is a need for safe and effective vaccines to control camelpox outbreaks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a live attenuated camelpox virus vaccine candidate (KM-40 strain).
• To assess the safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the KM-40 vaccine in camels.

Main Methods:

• An attenuated strain (KM-40) was generated from the wild-type M-96 strain through 40 passages in embryonated chicken eggs.
• Safety was evaluated through serial passages in camels and overdose administration.
• Immunogenicity and protective efficacy were assessed in camels vaccinated with 5 x 10^4.0 EID50 and challenged with virulent M-96 strain at various time points.

Main Results:

• The KM-40 strain did not revert to virulence after serial passages in camels and was safe at overdose.
• Vaccination with KM-40 induced complete protection against virulent camelpox virus challenge.
• Protection was sustained for at least 12 months post-vaccination.

Conclusions:

• The live attenuated egg-based camelpox vaccine candidate (KM-40) is safe and immunogenic in camels.
• The KM-40 vaccine provides complete and long-lasting protection against camelpox.
• This vaccine has strong potential for safe and effective use in field conditions to control camelpox.