Bergmann Felicitas, Fischer Dominik, Fischer Luisa, Maisch Heike, Risch Tina, Dreyer Saskia, Sadeghi Balal, Geelhaar Dietmar, Grund Lisa, Merz Sabine, Groschup Martin H, Ziegler Ute
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany.
Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Mar 14;11(3):652. doi: 10.3390/vaccines11030652.
West Nile virus (WNV) is known to cause disease and death in humans and various animals worldwide. WNV has circulated in Germany since 2018. In 2020, four birds tested positive for the WNV genome at Zoopark Erfurt (Thuringia). Moreover, virus neutralization assays detected neutralizing antibodies (nAb) against WNV in 28 birds. In addition, nAb against WNV and Usutu virus (USUV) were found in 14 birds. To protect valuable animals and to reduce the risk of viral transmission from birds to humans, we performed a field study on WNV vaccination at the zoo. To conduct the study, 61 birds from the zoo were categorized into three groups and subjected to a vaccination regimen, where each bird received either 1.0 mL, 0.5 mL, or 0.3 mL of a commercial inactivated WNV vaccine three times. The vaccinations were administered at three-week intervals, or as per modified vaccination schedules. Furthermore, 52 birds served as non-vaccinated controls. Adverse vaccination reactions were absent. The greatest increase in nAb titres was observed in birds that received 1.0 mL of vaccine. However, pre-existing antibodies to WNV and USUV appeared to have a major effect on antibody development in all groups and in all bird species, whereas sex and age had no effect. After vaccination, no death was detected in vaccinated birds for more than 1 year.
西尼罗河病毒（WNV）已知会在全球范围内导致人类和各种动物发病和死亡。自2018年以来，WNV一直在德国传播。2020年，爱尔福特动物园（图林根州）的四只鸟类经检测WNV基因组呈阳性。此外，病毒中和试验在28只鸟类中检测到了针对WNV的中和抗体（nAb）。另外，在14只鸟类中发现了针对WNV和乌苏图病毒（USUV）的nAb。为了保护珍贵动物并降低病毒从鸟类传播给人类的风险，我们在动物园开展了一项关于WNV疫苗接种的实地研究。为进行该研究，将动物园的61只鸟类分为三组，并实施疫苗接种方案，每只鸟接受1.0 mL、0.5 mL或0.3 mL的市售WNV灭活疫苗，共接种三次。疫苗接种每隔三周进行一次，或按照修改后的接种时间表进行。此外，52只鸟类作为未接种疫苗的对照。未出现疫苗接种不良反应。在接受1.0 mL疫苗的鸟类中观察到nAb滴度的最大增幅。然而，WNV和USUV的预先存在的抗体似乎对所有组和所有鸟类物种的抗体产生有重大影响，而性别和年龄则没有影响。接种疫苗后，在接种疫苗的鸟类中超过1年未检测到死亡情况。
