The Development of a Multivalent Capripoxvirus-Vectored Vaccine Candidate to Protect against Sheeppox, Goatpox, Peste des Petits Ruminants, and Rift Valley Fever

Capripoxviruses are the causative agents of sheeppox, goatpox, and lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle, which cause economic losses to the livestock industry in Africa and Asia. Capripoxviruses are currently controlled using several live attenuated vaccines. It was previously demonstrated that a lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) field isolate from Warmbaths (WB) South Africa, ORF 005 (IL-10) gene-deleted virus (LSDV WB005KO), was able to protect sheep and goats against sheeppox and goatpox. Subsequently, genes encoding the protective antigens for peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and Rift Valley fever (RVF) viruses have been inserted in the LSDV WB005KO construct in three different antigen forms (native, secreted, and fusion). These three multivalent vaccine candidates were evaluated for protection against PPR using a single immunization of 10