Main Menu

Zika virus (ZIKV) can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe birth defects. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat Zika infections.

Rabies occurs in more than 150 countries and territories, resulting in at least 55,000 human deaths per year worldwide according to World Health Organization estimates. Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease caused by numerous lyssaviruses that are found in a variety of animal species throughout the world. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system, causing disease in the brain with almost 100% mortality once clinical symptoms manifest.

Mosquito-transmitted dengue virus is one of the leading causes of illness in the tropics and subtropics. There is currently no vaccine available and a number of DENV diagnostic and research applications depend on the production of large amounts of these viruses. However, due to the slow growing nature of DENVs these protocols are very time-consuming.

CDC researchers have developed a potent immunogenic enhancer polypeptide useful for improving flavivirus vaccines. Flaviviruses such as dengue virus (1, 2, 3 and 4), Japanese encephalitis virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus are a great burden on public health. This technology describes an identified CD4+ T cell epitope occurring within the E-glycoprotein of West Nile virus and methods of using this polypeptide to increase vaccine immunogenicity in monovalent vaccines.

CDC researchers have identified and characterized discrete flavivirus cross-reactive epitopes useful for improving serodiagnosis and vaccination of flaviviruses, such as dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus and the tick-borne encephalitis viruses.

CDC researchers have developed a bead-based nucleic acid assay for serotyping members of the Salmonella genus; this assay will identify serotypes for approximately 95% of all human-obtained Salmonella isolates in the United States.

This CDC-developed invention relates to dengue vaccines that have been specifically developed for improved efficacy and directed immune response to avoid antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) safety issues that, theoretically, may be associated with dengue vaccines and vaccinations. Dengue viral infection typically causes a debilitating but non-lethal illness in hosts.

This invention, developed by the CDC and collaborators, entails a live, attenuated recombinant rabies virus vaccine that can elicit an effective anti-rabies immune response in animal recipients. Inoculation with a live, attenuated, rabies virus allows for the optimized production of immunity in the absence of pathogenicity. Oral administration of rabies vaccines is often a preferred route of vaccine delivery because it is most effective in wildlife. Unfortunately, availability of an oral vaccine for canines has been a significant hurdle to date.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus primarily infects animals but also has the capacity to infect humans. The disease causes abortion and death among RVF-infected livestock, resulting in substantial economic loss to people living in many parts of Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Currently, there is no commercial vaccine for RVF. CDC scientists have developed a RVF virus replicon particle (VRP) vaccine candidate.

CDC scientists have developed recombinant flavivirus nucleic acids for the generation of broad protective immunity against flaviviruses, as well as the development of sensitive serologic diagnostic tools. Mosquito borne viral encephalitis is often caused by a flavivirus, such as Japanese encephalitis virus, dengue virus or West Nile virus. Infection by these pathogens is often lethal to both humans and animals.