Researchers developed the first effective chikungunya fever vaccine from a virus that is only harmful to insects, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
To create the vaccine, researchers used the Eilat virus — which is benign in mammals — as a platform. The researchers then created a chimeric viral structure by combining the Eilat virus with chikungunya's structural proteins.
A single dose of the new vaccine offered complete protection against chikungunya in two mouse studies. Additionally, the vaccine elicited a rapid and robust immunity in nonhuman primates.
The new vaccine is unique because it offers rapid protection without compromising safety. While live-attenuated vaccines offer fast-acting and durable immunity, they are typically made from weakened version of a live pathogen and can carry potential safety risks.
"This vaccine offers efficient, safe and affordable protection against chikungunya and builds the foundation for using viruses that only infect insects to develop vaccines against other insect-borne diseases," said the study's senior author Scott Weaver, PhD, the director for the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
To learn more about chikungunya, click here.
More articles on infection control:
California sees almost 20k reports of HAIs in 2015: 5 report findings
How should hospitals respond to outbreaks? SHEA, CDC to develop resources
6 cases of community-associated CRE detected in Colorado