The efficacy of an experimental oil-adjuvanted encephalomyocarditis vaccine in elephants, mice and pigs
Abstract
An oil-adjuvanted inactivated encephalomyocarditis (EMC) vaccine was developed to protect a wild population of elephants against a natural outbreak of disease. The experimental vaccine was initially tested for efficacy by challenging mice and pigs. Mice showed protection against challenge and pigs developed high antibody levels. Since both vaccinated and control pigs failed to develop clinical disease, apparently due to the low virulence of the strain in this species, protection in pigs could not be evaluated. Vaccinated elephants developed high antibody titers which protected all vaccinates from a challenge roughly two months post-vaccination, whereas controls developed fatal or sub-clinical myocarditis. This is the first report of an inactivated EMC vaccine inducing high antibody titers in domestic and wild animal species. Due to the potency of this vaccine and the acceptability of the oil adjuvant used, it has potential for use in animals in zoological collections as well as in the pig industry.
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It is likely that zoo animals may be exposed to EMCV more frequently than believed and that infection in elephants may not always result in severe clinical disease.
“it is likely suggestive that zoo animals may be exposed to EMCV more frequently than believed and that infection in elephants may not always result in severe clinical disease, as has been observed previously in some cases [32].”
From Zoological transmission of encephalomyocarditis virus in the United States: Virus evolution, host ecology, and capsid antigenicity derived from an outbreak (2026) · cites this paper as [32]
Killed autogenous vaccines can induce long-lived, and in some cases, high-titer neutralizing antibodies that are likely protective against EMCV-related disease in elephants.
“These results suggest that killed autogenous vaccines – which in most circumstances are the only current option available to zoos for protecting their animals – can nevertheless induce long-lived, and in some cases, high-titer neutralizing antibodies that are likely protective against EMCV-related disease in elephants.”
From Zoological transmission of encephalomyocarditis virus in the United States: Virus evolution, host ecology, and capsid antigenicity derived from an outbreak (2026) · cites this paper as [32]
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“…in strong levels of cross-reactivity to EMCV in neutralization tests, it is likely suggestive that zoo animals may be exposed to EMCV more frequently than believed and that infection in elephants may not always result in severe clinical disease, as has been observed previously in some cases [32].”
- Authors
- Hunter, P., Swanepoel, S. P., Esterhuysen, J. J., Raath, J. P., Bengis, R. G., & van der Lugt, J. J.
- Affiliations
- South African National Parks (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Hunter, Pamela
- Venue
- Vaccine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1998-01-01
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 55-61
- ISSN
- 0264-410X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2044067805
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Vaccine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Viral Infections and Immunology Research
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Keywords
- encephalomyocarditis virus, inactivated vaccine, oil adjuvant, vaccine efficacy, elephants, myocarditis, antibody titers, pigs, mice, zoological collections, pork industry
- MeSH terms
- Adjuvants, Immunologic, Animals, Elephants, Encephalomyocarditis virus, South Africa, Swine, Viral Vaccines, Vaccines, Inactivated, Cardiovirus Infections, Mice
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