They successfully test a vaccine against coronavirus for animals – RTVC

Researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid highlight the importance of controlling transmission between animals and preventing them from being sources of infection They successfully test a vaccine against coronavirus for animals Researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid have successfully tested a prototype vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for covid-19 directed at animals. Although the disease is not of great relevance in veterinary medicine, researchers have stressed the importance of anticipating possible new scenarios. Also to potential problems that could cause new variants of the virus at the epidemiological level. “In our study, we show a high efficacy of the vaccine prototype to limit the replication of the virus in cats, which would help control transmission between animals and prevent them from acting as potential sources of infection.” This has been explained by Sandra Barroso, a researcher at the Viral Immunology and Preventive Medicine Service of the UCM. This experimental study has been carried out at the Veterinary Sanitary Surveillance Center (VISAVET) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the UCM. In collaboration with the Microbial Immunology Unit of the Carlos III Health Institute. All this as part of the project “Study of the potential impact of COVID-19 on pets and lynxes”. The results have been published in the journal Research in Veterinary Science. Tests in cats In a first phase of the trial, two animals were vaccinated intramuscularly with the vaccine prototype, the Complutense has reported. He has detailed that the cats were monitored for possible secondary reactions. Serum samples were also taken to assess antibody production. After 35 days of vaccination, the animals were transferred to a high biosafety laboratory of the center together with two control animals. There they were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus to assess the response to the disease. To minimize risks to the research staff, the animals were housed in an isolator that filtered the exhaust air. The animals, in addition to receiving daily veterinary care, had environmental enrichment to maximize their well-being, and the duration of the period of infection and evaluation of the response to the disease was 21 days. “Our vaccine prototype has proven to be effective in this regard, since, in the case of one of the vaccinated animals, the infection was completely avoided. In the other case it was limited to the region of the upper respiratory tract and without excretion of infectious virus”, the researchers have indicated. Strong immune response The vaccinated animals had a strong immune response. A response based on neutralizing antibodies that, as in vaccinated humans, helped control the infection. “Although the COVID-19 disease is not currently of great relevance in veterinary medicine, the constant appearance of mutations in the virus could lead to the appearance of new variants that do clearly affect animals,” said Barroso-Arévalo. And she has concluded that new scenarios in which the epidemiology of the disease changes cannot be ruled out. For this reason, it is important to have control and prevention tools for the different species susceptible to contracting the disease.