HOMOLOGOUS AND HETEROLOGOUS PROTECTION AFTER SINGLE INTRANASAL ADMINISTRATION OF LIVE ATTENUATED RECOMBINANT BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS

While single-dose mucosal immunization is best achieved by the use of attenuated live microorganisms, attenuation generally results in decre ased immunogenicity. We attenuated Bordetella pertussis by the deletio n of the pertussis toxin gene. A single intranasal administration of t his strain protected against subsequent challenge as well as did the p arent strain and better than immunization with commercial vaccine. Une xpectedly, this attenuation resulted in increased immunogenicity again st the protective antigen filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). In addition , immunogenicity was also enhanced against the Schistosoma mansoni Sm2 8GST genetically fused to FHA, resulting in protection against the par asite, as characterized by a reduction in worm burden and egg charge, after a single intranasal administration. Thus, attenuated recombinant B. pertussis strains are promising vectors for the simultaneous prote ction against pertussis and heterologous diseases by a single intranas al administration.