Effect of Virus Inactivating Agents on the Immunogenicity of Hantavirus Vaccines against Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

Abstract

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an acute zoonotic disease caused by orthohantavirases Puumala, Dobrava-Belgrad (4 genotypes), Hantaan (genotype Amur) and Seoul.. In the Russian Federation, HFRS takes a leading place among all natural focal human diseases. Formalin, β-propiolactone, and ultraviolet radiation were tested to select the optimal method of virus inactivation during the development of the whole-virion vaccine against HFRS. The specific activity and the immunogenicity of the vaccine were determined, respectively, by the number of copies of viral RNA/mL and by the titer of neutralizing antibodies in the BALB/c mice blood serum in response to immunization. An analysis of the immunogenicity of vaccines inactivated with formalin, β-propiolactone or UV radiation did not reveal significant differences in the level of neutralizing antibodies they induced. At the same time, β-propiolactone has obvious technological advantages compared to formalin and UV radiation: the time of inactivation of hantavirus is reduced tenfold, neutralization of the inactivator and control of its content in the final vaccine are not required, and the amount of total protein in the vaccine decreases. hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, hantavirases, inactivated vaccines, neutralizing antibodies, formalin, β-propiolactone, ultraviolet