Use of Single-Injection Recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vaccine to Protect Nonhuman Primates Against Lethal Nipah Virus Disease

Abstract

Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic pathogen that causes high case-fatality rates (CFRs) in humans. Two NiV strains have caused outbreaks: the Malaysia strain (NiV M ), discovered in 1998-1999 in Malaysia and Singapore (40% CFR); and the Bangladesh strain (NiV B ), discovered in Bangladesh and India in 2001 (80% CFR). Recently, NiV B in African green monkeys resulted in a more severe and lethal disease than NiV M . No NiV vaccines or treatments are licensed for human use. We assessed replication-restricted singleinjection recombinant vesicular stomatitis vaccine NiV vaccine vectors expressing the NiV glycoproteins against NiV B challenge in African green monkeys. All vaccinated animals survived to the study endpoint without signs of NiV disease; all showed development of NiV F Ig, NiV G IgG, or both, as well as neutralizing antibody titers. These data show protective efficacy against a stringent and relevant NiV B model of human infection.