Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread form of viral hemorrhagic fever, found in Eastern and Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern China, central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Typically beginning with non-specific fever, myalgia, nausea, diarrhea, and general malaise, symptoms of infection with the tick-borne CCHF virus (CCHFV) can rapidly progress to hemorrhagic manifestations, with case fatality rates as high as 30-40% in some regions. Critically, there are no approved vaccines for CCHF, and prevention is limited to control of exposure to infected ticks and livestock.

Researchers at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) have recently demonstrated robust immunogenicity and significant protection in a Rhesus macaque model of CCHF following vaccination with a novel repRNA vaccine. Single memory B cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from the vaccinated macaques to derive monoclonal antibodies that target the nucleocapsid protein (NP) of CCHFV, which plays a critical role in the replication and pathogenesis of the virus. This technology comprises mAbs with strong potential for the development of diagnostic tools, in vitro assays, research reagents, and other analytical methods for CCHFV NP recognition.

This technology is available for licensing for commercial development in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404.