Biomedical subjects

Udeni B Balasuriya

Publications and source records attributed to Udeni B Balasuriya.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Recombinant canarypox virus vaccine co-expressing genes encoding the VP2 and VP5 outer capsid proteins of bluetongue virus induces high level protection in sheep.

We describe the development and preliminary characterization of a recombinant canarypox virus vectored vaccine for protective immunization of ruminants against bluetongue virus (BTV) infection. Sheep (n=6) immunized with recombinant canarypox virus vector (BTV-CP) co-expressing synthetic genes encoding the two outer capsid proteins (VP2 and VP5) of BTV serotype 17 (BTV-17) developed high titers (40-160) of virus-specific neutralizing antibodies and were resistant to challenge with a field strain of BTV-17. In contrast, sheep (n=5) immunized with a commercial recombinant canarypox virus vector expressing the E and preM genes of West Nile virus were seronegative to BTV and developed pyrexia, lymphopenia, and extended, high-titered viremias following challenge exposure to the field strain of BTV-17. These data confirm that the BTV-CP vaccine may be useful for the protective immunization of ruminants against bluetongue, and it may avoid the problems inherent to live-attenuated (LA) BTV vaccines.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Equine viral arteritis.

EVA is an important if uncommon disease of horses. Potential economic losses attributable to EVA include direct losses from abortion, pneumonia in neonates, and febrile disease in performance horses. Indirect losses are those associated with national and international trade/animal movement regulations, particularly those pertaining to persistently infected carrier stallions and their semen. However, EAV infection and EVA are readily prevented through serological and virological screening of horses, coupled with sound management practices that include appropriate quarantine and strategic vaccination.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Prevalence of antibodies against Saint Louis encephalitis and Jamestown Canyon viruses in California horses.

Jamestown Canyon (JC) and Saint Louis encephalitis (SLE) viruses are mosquito-transmitted viruses that have long been present in California. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of these two viruses in horses prior to the introduction of West Nile (WN) virus. Approximately 15% of serum samples collected in 1998 from 425 horses on 44 equine operations horses throughout California had serum antibodies to JC virus, whereas antibodies were not detected to SLE virus. The results indicate that horses in California were commonly infected prior to 1998 with mosquito-transmitted Bunyaviruses that are identical or closely related to JC virus, but not with SLE virus. The different seroprevalence of SLE and JC viruses in horses likely reflects the unique ecology of each virus, and it is predicted that WN virus will have a wider distribution in California than closely related SLE virus.

Animals↗