Affiliation:
1. Vaccine Research Group, Division of Microbiology, GBF—German Research Centre for Biotechnology, Mascheroder Weg 1, Braunschweig, Germany
2. Berna Biotech Ltd., Rehhagstr. 79, CH-3018 Berne, Switzerland
Abstract
Infectious diseases represent one of the most common causes of death worldwide, with the enteropathogenic bacteria
Salmonella
and
Shigella
and pathogenic
Escherichia coli
being among the most detrimental. Currently, vaccination represents the preferred method of preventing such infections. For stimulating the adaptive immune response, immunizations are frequently based on formulations which include inactivated whole-cell vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, or subunit vaccines. These can be administered via a parenteral or mucosal route, the latter having the advantage that it most closely mimics the actual course of infection. In addition to the type of vaccine and method of application, important consideration needs to be paid to safety, efficacy, and cost, which are often major bottlenecks in the successful implementation of vaccines. In this chapter we take a limited look at the history surrounding vaccinations involving
Salmonella
,
Shigella
, and pathogenic
E. coli
.
Salmonella
infections, which can lead to typhoid fever, are becoming increasing difficult to treat with antibiotics due to multi-drug-resistant strains. At present, the parenteral Vi-based subunit vaccines and the live attenuated oral vaccine Ty21a have proven to be the vaccines of choice, with high levels of protective efficacy and limited side effects.
Shigella
infections are responsible for the diarrheal disease shigellosis. Various live and nonliving mucosal and parenteral vaccines have been tested, with the most promising candidates evolving around those that stimulate the production of O-antigen-specific antibodies. Pathogenic
Escherichia coli
infections can lead to severe diseases due to the bacterium's production of several specific toxins. Vaccines against this bacterium target its toxins, as well as surface-exposed antigens, all of which have been found to be effective as immunogens.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology