A Mouse Model of Yellow Fever Virus Infection for Study of Pathogenesis and Development of Vaccines and Therapeutics

Research Article

Austin J Infect Dis. 2023; 10(1): 1076.

A Mouse Model of Yellow Fever Virus Infection for Study of Pathogenesis and Development of Vaccines and Therapeutics

Dia M¹, Dieye Y2,3*, Nguer CM3, Bédékélabou AP1, Boye CSB4, Faye O1 and Fall C2

1Pôle de Virologie, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Sénégal

2Pôle de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Sénégal

3Groupe de Recherche Biotechnologies Appliquées & Bioprocédés environnementaux, école Supérieure Polytechnique, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal

4Centre de Reference IST/VIH,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Aristide le Dantec, Dakar, Sénégal

*Corresponding author: Dieye Y Pôle de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, 36 Avenue Pasteur, BP220, Dakar, Sénégal

Received: November 16, 2022; Accepted: January 04, 2023; Published: January 10, 2023

Abstract

Yellow Fever (YF) is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is endemic in several African and South American countries. YF Virus (YFV) causes subclinical infections with mild and non-specific symptoms, to severe, potentially lethal illness. Despite the existence of efficient vaccines, epidemics continue to occur, mostly in Africa. One major drawback of the available YF vaccines is their method of preparation that is fastidious and have limits to produce high volumes of doses needed to respond to recurring epidemics. The best available animal models for YFV are Non-Human Primates (NHP) in which it causes a disease similar to human infection. However, the cost of NHP studies is a limit to preclinical studies. There are a few mouse models of YF. However, these models consist of genetically deficient rodents that are not the best for evaluating new vaccines or therapies. We have developed a mouse model of YFV infection based on the Swiss Webster out bred strain. We have tested several epidemic isolates and identified two strains that, when administrated by the intraperitoneal route, caused an acute infection leading to death. Interestingly, these YFV strains are lethal only when prepared from mouse brain and not when cultured on cell lines. We used this model to test the efficacy of the 17D YFV vaccine strain in protecting mice against lethal challenge showing that the model can be used to evaluate new YF vaccines and therapies.

Keywords: Yellow Fever; Mouse Model; Vaccine

Abbreviations: BSA: Bovine Serum Albumin; CPE: Cytopathic Effect; FBS: Fetal Bovin Serum; IACUC: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; L15: Leibovitz; NHP: Non-Human Primate; PFU: Plaque Forming Unit; PS: Porcine Stable Kidney; SW: Swiss Webster; WHO: World Health Organization; YF: Yellow Fever; YFV: Yellow Fever Virus

Introduction

Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is endemic in several African and South American countries. Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) causes subclinical infections with mild and non-specific symptoms, to severe, potentially lethal illness with jaundice, hemorrhage, renal failure [1-3]. Despite the existence of safe and efficient vaccines, epidemics continue to occur, mostly in Africa and South America where the burden of YF is estimated to represent 84,000 to 170,000 severe cases and 29,000 to 60,000 related deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) [4].

This high burden is mostly due to a vaccine coverage that greatly varies between African regions and that is low in many areas including certain endemic countries [5]. There are four licensed YF vaccines manufactured by the (i) Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal, (ii) Sanofi Pasteur, France, (iii) Bio Manguinhos, Brazil and (iv) the Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitidis, Russia. These vaccines are all derivatives of a live attenuated strain that was first developed in 1937 [6,7]. They are currently being used in vaccination programs in endemic countries and for travelers visiting these regions. They provide a protective immunity against all known genotypes of YFV despite very rare cases of serious adverse effects [8]. The management of YF is becoming an issue of high importance. After a relatively long period of good control of the disease thanks to vaccination and efficient vector control programs, YF is today in a state of reemergence, with recent large outbreaks and appearance of the disease in new, previously unaffected areas, because of the introduction of mosquito vectors into these lands [9]. The development of large, densely populated cities in endemic countries favors the possibility of spillover and of spread of the disease in cases of epidemics. This concern is compounded by an incertitude regarding the YF vaccine-induced protection. This protection was believed for long to be long-lasting, possibly lifelong, in all individuals [10] resulting in a position paper from the WHO recommending a single immunization without the need of a boost [11]. However, several recent evaluations showed that YF vaccine-induced protection starts to decrease after a few years and could vary between individuals [12-14]. Additionally, there are significant differences between individuals living in endemic regions compared to those from unaffected areas, with the formers showing an impaired response to YF vaccination [11]. Following these new findings, many experts in the field advice boosting immunization to be administered with YF vaccination at least every 10 years [15].

The recommendation of YF boosting immunization significantly increases the demand for YF vaccine. However, the current production method of the available vaccines cannot satisfy this demand. Licensed YF vaccines are produced from culture on embryonated eggs, a fastidious and lengthy process that limits the capacity to yield large doses of vaccine stocks needed to respond to recurring outbreaks, and to prepare for potential major epidemics. The shortage of YF vaccine is a pressing issue. The WHO recommends the use of fractional doses as a shortterm response in cases of outbreak [16]. Several studies have evaluated the ability of doses lower than those currently used to provide immune protection. A recent clinical trial in Brazil showed that a 1/5 fraction of the 17DD vaccine provided a sero conversion rate and a seropositivity after eight years similar to those conferred by the reference full dose [13,17]. Currently, two ongoing non-inferiority clinical trials are testing the efficacy of fractional doses of the four licensed YFV in children and adults. In these trials, the responses of different branches of the immune system are compared among individuals who received full and fractional doses including the induction of IgG and of neutralizing antibodies, and the cellular immune response [18]. The re-emerging status of YF calls for sustained researches that will better elucidate the pathogenesis of wild type YFV. Actually, most of what is known on the pathogenesis of YFV has been obtained from vaccine strains that are attenuated. Studying wild type lineages could yield new knowledge that can be used to generate control tools including therapeutics and vaccines.

Materials and Methods

Virus Strains

Virus strains analyzed in this study (Table 1) were provided by the WHO Collaborating Center for arboviruses and viral hemorrhagic viruses at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), Senegal. These strains were isolated from mosquito (Table 1).