PROTECTIVE EFFICACY OF VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES FOR BLUETONGUE DISEASE

Bluetongue virus-like particles (VLPs) derived from multiple baculovirus expression vectors have been administered in the presence of various adjuvants to sheep, a vertebrate host susceptible to the virus, and the neutralizing antibody responses are measured. Vaccinated sheep are challenged after 4 months of inoculation, and clinical reaction indices and viraemia determined. The results indicate that these multiprotein virus-like particles lacking the genetic material are highly immunogenic and as little as 10-mu-g of VLPs in conjunction with appropriate adjuvant elicit an immune response which protects against infectious virus challenge. The formation of virus-like particles using this new technology offers a novel approach in vaccinology.