Stronger Interference of Avian Influenza Virus-Specific Than Newcastle Disease Virus-Specific Maternally Derived Antibodies with a Recombinant NDV-H5 Vaccine

Vaccination of poultry against highly pathogenic avian influenza - part 1. Available vaccines and vaccination strategies

Several vaccines have been developed against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), mostly inactivated whole-virus vaccines for chickens. In the EU, one vaccine is authorised in chickens but is not fully efficacious to stop transmission, highlighting the need for vaccines tailored to diverse poultry species and production types. Off-label use of vaccines is possible, but effectiveness varies. Vaccines are usually injectable, a time-consuming process. Mass-application vaccines outside hatcheries remain rare. First vaccination varies from in-ovo to 6 weeks of age. Data about immunity onset and duration in the target species are often unavailable, despite being key for effective planning. Minimising antigenic distance between vaccines and field strains is essential, requiring rapid updates of vaccines to match circulating strains. Generating harmonised vaccine efficacy data showing vaccine ability to reduce transmission is crucial and this ability should be also assessed in field trials. Planning vaccination requires selecting the most adequate vaccine type and vaccination scheme. Emergency protective vaccination is limited to vaccines that are not restricted by species, age or pre-existing vector-immunity, while preventive vaccination should prioritise achieving the highest protection, especially for the most susceptible species in high-risk transmission areas. Model simulations in France, Italy and The Netherlands revealed that (i) duck and turkey farms are more infectious than chickens, (ii) depopulating infected farms only showed limitations in controlling disease spread, while 1-km ring-culling performed better than or similar to emergency preventive ring-vaccination scenarios, although with the highest number of depopulated farms, (iii) preventive vaccination of the most susceptible species in high-risk transmission areas was the best option to minimise the outbreaks' number and duration, (iv) during outbreaks in such areas, emergency protective vaccination in a 3-km radius was more effective than 1- and 10-km radius. Vaccine efficacy should be monitored and complement other surveillance and preventive efforts.

Effect of Different Levels of Maternally Derived Genotype VII Newcastle Disease Virus-Specific Hemagglutination Inhibition Antibodies on Protection against Virulent Challenge in Chicks

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by the virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is an acute, highly contagious, and economically significant avian disease worldwide. Vaccination is the most effective measure for controlling ND. In recent years, vaccines matched with the prevalent strains of genotype VII have been developed and are now commercially available. These vaccines can provide full protection for chickens against clinical disease and mortality after challenges with genotype VII viruses and significantly decrease virus shedding compared to conventional vaccines belonging to genotypes I and II. Vaccinated hens can transfer antibodies to their offspring through the egg yolk. Maternally derived antibodies can provide passive protection against diseases but can also interfere with vaccination efficacy early in life. This study was conducted on chicks hatched from hens vaccinated with a commercial genotype VII NDV-matched vaccine to investigate the correlation between hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody levels in chicks and hens and the decaying pattern of maternally derived HI antibodies, and to evaluate the protective efficacy of different levels of maternally derived HI antibodies against challenge with a virulent NDV strain of genotype VII based on survivability and virus shedding. The HI antibody titers in chicks at hatching were about 1.3 log2 lower than those in hens, indicating an antibody transfer rate of approximately 41.52%. The estimated half-life of these antibodies was about 3.2 days. The protective efficacy of maternally derived HI antibodies was positively correlated with the titer. These antibodies could effectively protect chicks against mortality when the titer was 7 log2 or higher, but they were unable to prevent virus shedding or infection even at a high titer of 11 log2. The obtained results will greatly assist producers in determining the immune status of chicks and formulating appropriate vaccination schedules against ND.

Efficacy of a recombinant turkey herpesvirus (H9) vaccine against H9N2 avian influenza virus in chickens with maternal-derived antibodies

Although vaccines have been widely used for many years, they have failed to control H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) in the field in China. The high level of maternal-derived antibodies (MDAs) against H9N2 virus contributes to the H9N2 influenza vaccine failure in poultry. The study aimed to generate a new vaccine to overcome MDAs interference in H9N2 vaccination in chickens. We used turkey herpesvirus (HVT) as a vaccine vector to express H9 hemagglutinin (HA) proteins. The recombinant HVT expressing H9 HA proteins (rHVT-H9) was successfully generated and characterized in primary chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEFs). Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) showed that the rHVT-H9 consistently expressed HA proteins. In addition, the rHVT-H9 had similar growth kinetics to the parent HVT. Preliminary animal experiments showed that compared to the conventional inactivated whole virus (IWV) vaccine, the rHVT-H9 stimulated robust humoral immunity in chickens with passively transferred antibodies (PTAs) that were used to mimic MDAs. Transmission experiments showed that the rHVT-H9 induced both humoral and cellular immunity in chickens with PTAs. Furthermore, we used mathematical models to quantify the vaccine's efficacy in preventing the transmission of H9N2 AIV. The results showed that the rHVT-H9 reduced the virus shedding period and decreased the reproduction ratio (R) value in chickens with PTAs after homologous challenge. However, the vaccination in this trial did not yet bring R < 1. In summary, we generated a new rHVT-H9 vaccine, which stimulated strong humoral and cellular immunity, reducing virus shedding and transmission of H9N2 AIV even in the presence of PTAs in chickens.

Current situation and future direction of Newcastle disease vaccines

Newcastle disease (ND) is one of the most economically devastating infectious diseases affecting the poultry industry. Virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can cause high mortality and severe tissue lesions in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive and immune systems of poultry. Tremendous progress has been made in preventing morbidity and mortality caused by ND based on strict biosecurity and wide vaccine application. In recent decades, the continual evolution of NDV has resulted in a total of twenty genotypes, and genetic variation may be associated with disease outbreaks in vaccinated chickens. In some countries, the administration of genotype-matched novel vaccines in poultry successfully suppresses the circulation of virulent NDV strains in the field. However, virulent NDV is still endemic in many regions of the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries, impacting the livelihood of millions of people dependent on poultry for food. In ND-endemic countries, although vaccination is implemented for disease control, the lack of genotype-matched vaccines that can reduce virus infection and transmission as well as the inadequate administration of vaccines in the field undermines the effectiveness of vaccination. Dissection of the profiles of existing ND vaccines is fundamental for establishing proper vaccination regimes and developing next-generation vaccines. Therefore, in this article, we provide a broad review of commercial and experimental ND vaccines and promising new platforms for the development of next-generation vaccines.

Age-Dependent Dynamics of Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDAs) and Understanding MDA-Mediated Immune Tolerance in Foot-and-Mouth Disease-Vaccinated Pigs

Vaccine-induced active immunity in young animals may be compromised via interference caused by maternally derived antibodies (MDAs). Since the level, titer, and half-life of MDAs vary per individual, it is difficult to determine the appropriate timing of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination in the field. In order to better understand the age-dependent characteristics of MDA in sows and piglets as well as the phenomenon of reduced vaccine-mediated active immunity due to MDAs, this study sought to determine antibody titers through structural protein (SP) O, A ELISA analyses, and virus-neutralizing (VN) antibody titers as well as their half-lives in the sera of sows and piglets derived from FMD-vaccinated mother. Furthermore, immunoglobulin (Ig) subtypes, such as IgG, IgM, and IgA, in serum were also evaluated. To understand the correlation between the inhibition of vaccine-mediated active immunity by MDA-mediated passive immunity and regulatory T (Treg) cells, Treg-related cytokine levels were explored. Our findings will help to predict the optimal timing of vaccination for overcoming MDAs and inducing a robust vaccine-mediated immune response in young individuals vaccinated against FMD. They also add to our understanding of MDA characteristics and interference, providing insight for the development of innovative strategies and novel FMD vaccine for overcoming such interference.

Haemagglutinin antigen selectively targeted to chicken CD83 overcomes interference from maternally derived antibodies in chickens

Maternally derived antibodies (MDAs) are important for protecting chickens against pathogens in the neonatal stage however, they often interfere with vaccine performance. Here, we investigated the effects of MDAs on a targeted antigen delivery vaccine (TADV), which is developed by conjugating H9 subtype avian influenza virus haemagglutinin (HA) antigen to single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies specific for the chicken antigen presenting cell receptor CD83. Groups of 1-day-old chickens carrying high levels of MDAs (MDA++) and 14-day old chickens carrying medium levels of MDAs (MDA+) were immunised with TADV (rH9HA-CD83 scFv), untargeted rH9HA or inactivated H9N2 vaccines. Immunogenicity in these vaccinated chickens was compared using haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The results showed that the TADV (rH9HA-CD83 scFv) induced significantly higher levels of H9HA-specific antibody titres compared to the untargeted rH9HA and inactivated H9N2 vaccines in MDA++ and MDA+ chickens. Overall, the data demonstrates immune responses induced by TADV are not affected by the MDA in chickens.

The Expression of Hemagglutinin by a Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus Causes Structural Changes and Alters Innate Immune Sensing

Recombinant Newcastle disease viruses (rNDV) have been used as bivalent vectors for vaccination against multiple economically important avian pathogens. NDV-vectored vaccines expressing the immunogenic H5 hemagglutinin (rNDV-H5) are considered attractive candidates to protect poultry from both highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and Newcastle disease (ND). However, the impact of the insertion of a recombinant protein, such as H5, on the biological characteristics of the parental NDV strain has been little investigated to date. The present study compared a rNDV-H5 vaccine and its parental NDV LaSota strain in terms of their structural and functional characteristics, as well as their recognition by the innate immune sensors. Structural analysis of the rNDV-H5 demonstrated a decreased number of fusion (F) and a higher number of hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoproteins compared to NDV LaSota. These structural differences were accompanied by increased hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activities of rNDV-H5. During in vitro rNDV-H5 infection, increased mRNA expression of TLR3, TLR7, MDA5, and LGP2 was observed, suggesting that the recombinant virus is recognized differently by sensors of innate immunity when compared with the parental NDV LaSota. Given the growing interest in using NDV as a vector against human and animal diseases, these data highlight the importance of thoroughly understanding the recombinant vaccines’ structural organization, functional characteristics, and elicited immune responses.

Protection of Chickens with Maternal Immunity Against Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) by Vaccination with a Novel Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus Vector

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vectors expressing avian influenza virus (AIV) hemagglutinin of subtype H5 protect specific pathogen-free chickens from Newcastle disease and avian influenza. However, maternal AIV antibodies (AIV-MDA+) are known to interfere with active immunization by influencing vaccine virus replication and gene expression, resulting in inefficient protection. To overcome this disadvantage, we inserted a transgene encoding a truncated soluble hemagglutinin (HA) in addition to the gene encoding membrane-bound HA from highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 into lentogenic NDV Clone 30 genome (rNDVsolH5_H5) to overexpress H5 antigen. Vaccination of 3-wk-old AIV-MDA+ chickens with rNDVsolH5_H5 and subsequent challenge infection with HPAIV H5N1 3 wk later resulted in 100% protection. Vaccination of younger chickens with higher AIV-MDA levels 1 and 2 wk after hatch resulted in protection rates of 40% and 85%, respectively. However, all vaccinated chickens showed strongly reduced shedding of challenge virus compared with age-matched, nonvaccinated control chickens. All control chickens succumbed to the HPAIV infection with a grading in disease progression between the three groups, indicating the influence of AIV-MDAs even at a low level. Furthermore, the shedding and serologic data gathered after immunization indicate sufficient replication of the vaccine virus, which leads to the assumption that lower protection rates in younger AIV-MDA+ chickens are caused by an H5 antigen-specific block and not by the interference of the AIV-MDA and the vaccine virus itself. In summary, solid protective efficacy and reduced virus transmission were achieved in 3-wk-old AIV-MDA+ chickens, which is relevant especially in regions endemically infected with HPAIV H5N1.

Effectiveness of a Simultaneous rHVT-F(ND) and rHVT-H5(AI) Vaccination of Day-Old Chickens and the Influence of NDV- and AIV-Specific MDA on Immune Response and Conferred Protection

The recombinant herpesvirus of turkey (rHVT) vaccines targeting Newcastle disease (ND) and H5Nx avian influenza (AI) have been demonstrated efficient in chickens when used individually at day-old. Given the practical field constraints associated with administering two vaccines separately and in the absence of a currently available bivalent rHVT vector vaccine expressing both F(ND) and H5(AI) antigens, the aim of this study was to investigate whether interference occurs between the two vaccines when simultaneously administered in a single shot. The studies have been designed to determine (i) the ND and AI-specific protection and antibody response conferred by these vaccines inoculated alone or in combination at day-old, (ii) the influence of maternally-derived antibodies (MDA), and (iii) the potential interference between the two vaccine. Our results demonstrate that their combined administration is efficient to protect chickens against clinical signs of velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) and H5-highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infections. Viral shedding following co-vaccination is also markedly reduced, while slightly lower NDV- and AIV-specific antibody responses are observed. NDV- and AIV-specific MDA show negative effects on the onset of the specific antibody responses. However, if AIV-specific MDA reduce the protection against H5-HPAIV induced by rHVT-H5(AI) vaccine, it was not observed for ND.

Newcastle Disease Virus as a Vaccine Vector for 20 Years: A Focus on Maternally Derived Antibody Interference

It has been 20 years since Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was first used as a vector. The past two decades have witnessed remarkable progress in vaccine generation based on the NDV vector and optimization of the vector. Protective antigens of a variety of pathogens have been expressed in the NDV vector to generate novel vaccines for animals and humans, highlighting a great potential of NDV as a vaccine vector. More importantly, the research work also unveils a major problem restraining the NDV vector vaccines in poultry, i.e., the interference from maternally derived antibody (MDA). Although many efforts have been taken to overcome MDA interference, a lack of understanding of the mechanism of vaccination inhibition by MDA in poultry still hinders vaccine improvement. In this review, we outline the history of NDV as a vaccine vector by highlighting some milestones. The recent advances in the development of NDV-vectored vaccines or therapeutics for animals and humans are discussed. Particularly, we focus on the mechanisms and hypotheses of vaccination inhibition by MDA and the efforts to circumvent MDA interference with the NDV vector vaccines. Perspectives to fill the gap of understanding concerning the mechanism of MDA interference in poultry and to improve the NDV vector vaccines are also proposed.

Coexpression of soluble and membrane-bound avian influenza virus H5 by recombinant Newcastle disease virus leads to an increase in antigen levels

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vectors expressing avian influenza virus (AIV) haemagglutinin (HA) of subtype H5 simultaneously protect chickens from Newcastle disease (ND) as well as avian influenza (AI). The expressed, membrane-bound surface protein HA is incorporated into virions while soluble HA has been described as a potent antigen. We tested whether co-expression of both HA variants from the same NDV vector increased the overall level of HA, which could be important for optimal immunogenicity. Recombinant NDVsolH5_H5 co-expressed membrane-bound H5 of highly pathogenic (HP) AIV H5N1, detectable in infected cells, and soluble H5, which was secreted into the supernatant. This virus was compared to recombinant NDV that express either membrane-bound (rNDVH5) or soluble H5 (rNDVsolH5). Replication in embryonated chicken eggs (ECEs) and in cell culture, as well as pathogenicity in ECEs, was not influenced by the second heterologous transcriptional unit. However, the co-expression of soluble H5 with membrane-bound H5 increased total protein level about 5.25-fold as detected by MS quantification. Hence, this virus is very interesting as a vaccine virus in chickens against HPAIV infections in situations in which previous H5-expressing NDVs have reached their limit, such as in the face of pre-existing AIV maternal immunity.

Maternal antibody inhibition of recombinant Newcastle disease virus vectored vaccine in a primary or booster avian influenza vaccination program of broiler chickens

Maternally-derived antibodies (MDA) provide early protection from disease, but may interfere with active immunity in young chicks. In highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV)-enzootic countries, broiler chickens typically have MDA to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and H5 HPAIV, and their impact on active immunity from recombinant vectored vaccines is unclear. We assessed the effectiveness of a spray-applied recombinant NDV vaccine with H5 AIV insert (rNDV-H5) and a recombinant turkey herpesvirus (HVT) vaccine with H5 AIV insert (rHVT-H5) in commercial broilers with MDA to NDV alone (MDA:AIV^-NDV⁺) or to NDV plus AIV (MDA:AIV⁺NDV⁺) to provide protection against homologous HPAIV challenge. In Experiment 1, chicks were spray-vaccinated with rNDV-H5 at 3 weeks (3w) and challenged at 5 weeks (5w). All sham-vaccinated progeny lacked AIV antibodies and died following challenge. In rNDV-H5 vaccine groups, AIV and NDV MDA had completely declined to non-detectable levels by vaccination, enabling rNDV-H5 spray vaccine to elicit a protective AIV antibody response by 5w, with 70-78% survival and significant reduction of virus shedding compared to shams. In Experiment 2, progeny were vaccinated with rHVT-H5 and rNDV-H5 at 1 day (1d) or 3w and challenged at 5w. All sham-vaccinated progeny lacked AIV antibodies and died following challenge. In rHVT-H5(1d) vaccine groups, irrespective of rNDV-H5(3w) boost, AIV antibodies reached protective levels pre-challenge, as all progeny survived and virus shedding significantly decreased compared to shams. In contrast, rNDV-H5-vaccinated progeny had AIV and/or NDV MDA at the time of vaccination (1d and/or 3w) and failed to develop a protective immune response by 5w, resulting in 100% mortality after challenge. Our results demonstrate that MDA to AIV had minimal impact on the effectiveness of rHVT-H5, but MDA to AIV and/or NDV at the time of vaccination can prevent development of protective immunity from a primary or booster rNDV-H5 vaccine.

Recombinant viral-vectored vaccines for the control of avian influenza in poultry

Vaccination is a commonly used tool for the control of both low pathogenic and highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) viruses. Traditionally, inactivated adjuvanted vaccines made from a low pathogenic field strain have been used for vaccination, but advances in molecular biology have allowed a number of different viral vectored vaccines, expressing the AI virus hemagglutinin (HA) gene, to be developed and licensed for use for control of AI. This review summarizes the licensed vector vaccines available for use in poultry. As a group, these vaccines can stimulate both a cellular and humoral immune response and, when antigenically well matched to the target AI strain, are effective at preventing clinical disease and reducing virus shedding if vaccinated birds do become infected. The vaccines can often be given to one-day old chicks in the hatchery, which can provide early protection and is a cost effective route of administration of the vaccine. All the licensed vectored vaccines, because they only express the HA gene, can potentially be used to differentiate vaccinated from vaccinated and infected birds, which is often referred to as a DIVA strategy. Although a potentially valuable tool for the surveillance of the virus in countries that vaccinate, the DIVA principle has currently not been applied. Concern remains that maternal antibody or pre-existing immunity to the vector or to the AI HA insert can suppress the immune response to the vaccine. The viral vectored vaccines appear to work well with a prime boost strategy where the vectored vaccine is given first and a different type of vaccine, often a killed adjuvanted vaccine is given two or three weeks later.