Poster Presentation 12th Australasian Virology Society Meeting 2024

The prospect of developing a herpesvirus vector vaccine for Australian flying foxes (Pteropus spp.) to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases (#253)

Jennifer Sullivan 1 , Lee McMichael 2 , Joanne Meers 2 , Timothy Mahony 1
  1. The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia

Flying foxes (Pteropus species) are fundamental to many ecosystems as a keystone species that facilitate the reproduction of their native food trees and agricultural crops. However, in recent years there has been an increase in spillover events of zoonotic pathogens around the world that have been linked to bats. In Australia bats have been identified as a key reservoir species for Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV) and Hendra virus (HeV). Though spillover events are increasing, very little progress has been made towards prevention methods. An innovative approach to this issue is the use of a viral vector vaccine targeting the reservoir host. This study examines the prospect of developing a herpesvirus viral vector vaccine to target HeV and ABLV in Pteropus species. A viral vector vaccine could provide a superior immune response by mimicking a natural infection of the viruses of interest and may provide a safer and more economical control method. The literature suggests that a herpesvirus, predominantly an alphaherpesvirus, would be the optimal vector due to its morphological properties and evolutional stability. Though there are evidently many potential benefits to this control method, little is understood about the persistence of the vector in the wild as there is currently limited information on bat alphaherpesviruses. This study sets the foundation for future research to firstly find a suitable alphaherpesvirus vector in Pteropus spp. and to understand the interactions the vector has with the host, such as immunogenicity, transmission rate, vaccine efficacy, and mutation rate.