Ĭaprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) is associated with two different syndromes in goats, a lethal systemic disease in kids and a genital disease leading to balanoposthitis, vulvovaginitis and abortion in adults. They have proven their safety and efficacy in the target bovine species since they are efficacious at reducing disease severity, virus shedding, and circulation in a population. Therefore, BoHV-1 marker vaccines comprising attenuated or killed mutants with a deletion in one of the non-essential genes (gE) were developed and eradication campaigns were initiated in many European countries. However, there was still a need for improvements in order to use them in control and/or eradication programmes. These vaccines usually prevented clinical signs and reduced the amount of excreted viruses. Since its isolation, several conventional vaccines have been developed. BoHV-1, a major cattle pathogen, is typically responsible of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) causing severe economic losses in livestock. The subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae includes a cluster of closely related ruminant viruses with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) as prototype. Intranasal application of a live attenuated gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine is able to afford a clinical protection and a reduction of virus excretion in goats challenged by a CpHV-1 genital infection. Antibodies neutralising both BoHV-1 and CpHV-1 were raised in immunised goats. Moreover, goats immunised with either gE-negative BoHV-1 or CpHV-1 exhibited a significant reduction in the length and the peak of viral excretion. After challenge, a significant reduction in disease severity was observed in immunised goats.

The vaccine did not induce any undesirable local or systemic reaction and goats did not excrete gE-negative BoHV-1. Goats were clinically monitored and all sampling procedures were carried out in a blind manner. To analyse the safety and the efficacy of this marker vaccine, two groups of three goats served as controls: one immunised with a virulent CpHV-1 and one uninoculated until the challenge. The vaccine was inoculated intranasally twice three weeks apart followed by a subsequent CpHV-1 intravaginal challenge which is the natural route of infection in three goats. Taking into account the biological properties shared by these two viruses, we decided in the current study to assess the protection of a live attenuated glycoprotein E (gE) negative BoHV-1 vaccine against a genital CpHV-1 infection in goats. CpHV-1 is antigenically and genetically closely related to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1).

CpHV-1 is widespread and especially in Mediterranean countries as Greece, Italy and Spain. Caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) is responsible of systemic diseases in kids and genital diseases leading to abortions in goats.

Caprine cross 2.0