Development of attenuated bovine herpesvirus-4 as a safe, inexpensive, single dose vaccine to control Streptococcus suis infection in domestic pigs

Vaccines are one of medicine's greatest triumphs, having led to the virtual eradication of several deadly

bacterial diseases. However, most vaccines in use today were developed by techniques pioneered over 100

years ago and do not represent the full potential of the field. Bovine herpes virus vaccines (BoHV-4) are one of

the most promising classes of new vaccines, combining durability of immunity with low costs of manufacture.

In this project, we will develop a novel BoHV-4 vaccine against S. suis - a major disease affecting pig farmers

worldwide and a dangerous zoonotic pathogen in humans. The applicants will develop the novel vaccine using

immunogenic S. suis proteins and then test it in pigs to convincingly demonstrate both efficacy and a

quantifiable reduction in antibiotic usage. Our objectives are firstly to commercialize the vaccine within 3 years

post-project and secondly establish it as a flagship product within our powerful BoHV-4 platform which can be

targeted at many other serious bacterial infections affecting both animal and human health. The project is

innovative in that there are currently no effective vaccines for the treatment and prevention of S. suis in pigs