RECOMBINANT BACULOVIRUS-SYNTHESIZED AFRICAN HORSESICKNESS VIRUS (AHSV) OUTER-CAPSID PROTEIN VP2 PROVIDES PROTECTION AGAINST VIRULENT AHSV CHALLENGE

African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV-4) outer-capsid proteins VP2 or VP2 and VP5, prepared from single or dual recombinant baculovir us expression vectors grown in Sf9 insect cells, were administered in different amounts to horses and the neutralizing antibody responses we re measured. Control and vaccinated horses were challenged with virule nt AHSV-4 6 months later and monitored post challenge. The results ind icated that two inoculations of extracts containing VP2 and VP5, or VP 2 alone, in doses of 5 mu g VP2 or more per horse, were sufficient to elicit protection against African horsesickness (AHS) disease, The rec ombinant VP2 protein is a potential candidate vaccine for AHS in horse s.