VACCINATION AGAINST FELINE LEUKEMIA USING A NEW FELINE HERPESVIRUS TYPE-I VECTOR

A recombinant feline herpesvirus type I (FHV-1) was constructed expres sing the envelope glycoprotein gene from feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) . The expression cassette containing the long terminal repeat promoter from Rous sarcoma virus was stably integrated at the locus downstream of the gC homologue in FHV-1. Oronasal vaccination with recombinant F HV-1 engendered significant protection against challenge with the homo logous FeLV-A/Glasgow-1 isolate. isolate. Three of four vaccinated cat s did not become viraemic for FeLV and developed serum neutralizing an tibodies while Jive of six controls became persistently infected after challenge. However, latent FeLV was detected at 12 weeks after challe nge in bone marrow cultures of all animals except one. The potential o f this new vector to protect against FeLV was compared with previous r eports using live recombinant vaccines. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.