Protection of mice against Aujeszky's disease virus infection by intranasal vaccination with inactivated virus.

Intranasal vaccination of mice with inactivated Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) induced IgA and IgG antibody responses to the virus in the secretion of the respiratory tract, resulting in complete protection of the animals against intranasal challenge with virulent ADV. The immune response was enhanced by the use of the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as an adjuvant. On the other hand, subcutaneous vaccination of mice with inactivated ADV, even together with CTB, scarcely stimulated secretory antibody responses, resulting in only partial protection. The present results suggest that development of a vaccination procedure to stimulate the mucosal immune response should improve the protective effects of the inactivated herpesvirus vaccines, and thereby make it possible to control the infections by prohibiting virus replication at the site where primary infection takes place, as well as inhibiting subsequent latency and reactivation of the virus.