Heath D G, Anderson G W, Mauro J M, Welkos S L, Andrews G P, Adamovicz J, Friedlander A M
Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Vaccine. 1998 Jul;16(11-12):1131-7. doi: 10.1016/s0264-410x(98)80110-2.
The current human whole-cell vaccine is ineffective against pneumonic plague caused by typical F1 capsule positive (F1+) strains of Yersinia pestis. The authors found this vaccine to also be ineffective against F1-negative (F1-) Y. pestis strains, which have been isolated from a human case and from rodents. For these reasons, the authors developed a recombinant vaccine composed of a fusion protein of F1 with a second protective immunogen, V antigen. This vaccine protected experimental mice against pneumonic as well as bubonic plague produced by either an F1+ or F1- strain of Y. pestis, gave better protection than F1 or V alone against the F1+ strain, and may provide the basis for an improved human plague vaccine.
