A Recombinant Dual Vaccine to Immunise Cattle Against Lump Skin Disease Virus

The recombinant LSDV-BCoV vaccine is an innovative dual vaccine designed to provide simultaneous protection against Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) and Bovine Coronavirus (BCoV). It utilises a recombinant LSDV vector to express key BCoV antigens, including the spike (S1 and S2 subunits) and nucleocapsid proteins. These modifications ensure a strong immune response against both pathogens while leveraging the safety and stability of LSDV as a vaccine platform.
This vaccine aims to address key challenges associated with BCoV infections, particularly in neonatal calves, which are highly vulnerable due to their immature immune systems. BCoV is responsible for both gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in cattle, leading to severe diarrhoea, dehydration, and even death in young animals. Transmission occurs through close contact with infected animals via oral-faecal routes, contaminated secretions, or respiratory droplets. The virus is highly persistent in the environment, making control difficult.
This candidate vaccine was derived from the LSDV-Bovine Ephemeral Fever Vaccine (LSDV-BEFV), which has demonstrated strong safety, genetic stability, host immune response, and potential maternal immunity transfer in cattle. Researchers expect these benefits to extend to the LSDV-BCoV vaccine as well. Experimental results to date have confirmed that immunised mice demonstrated an immune response in binding antibody titre experiments.