COMPARATIVE-STUDIES OF THE EFFICACY OF A RECOMBINANT FELINE LEUKEMIA-VIRUS VACCINE

The efficacy of three feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) vaccines was compa red. Kittens were immunised with either a recombinant subunit vaccine, Leucogen, or one of two inactivated virus vaccines, Leukocell 2 or Le ucat. On subsequent challenge by intraperitoneal inoculation of FeLV o f subgroup A (FeLV-A), only Leucogen gave significant protection. In a second experiment, kittens vaccinated with Leucogen were protected ag ainst oronasal challenge with a phenotypic mixture of FeLV of subgroup s A, B and C, These results indicate that a recombinant vaccine, conta ining only the protein moiety of the surface glycoprotein of FeLV-A, c an provide better protection than the inactivated virus vaccines teste d against challenge with virus of the same subgroup, and can also prot ect against challenge by all three subgroups of FeLV.