Developing a vaccine for porcine S. suis infections in Vietnam

We are working with the National Institute for Veterinary Research (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) in Vietnam to develop a prototype vaccine to protect piglets against S. suis.

S. suis is responsible for significant mortality and morbidity in pig production worldwide. It is considered an emerging zoonotic pathogen, with highest prevalence in Southeast Asia. The World Organisation for Animal Health has identified S. suis as a priority disease for which effective vaccines could significantly reduce the use of antimicrobials in animals and decrease pressure on generation of antimicrobial resistance.

Identifying genes that cause S. suis in pigs

This collaborative project will identify genes that are essential for the pathogenesis of S. suis in pigs and assess their suitability as vaccine candidates in a passive immunisation model. We will:

Identify sequences essential to survival and proliferation of S. suis using PIMMS and characterise their role in virulence related phenotypes
Collect, sequence, genome assemble and annotate S. suis from Vietnam
Use candidate sequences to generate passive immunity in pregnant sows and piglets
Transfer technical and experimental knowledge.

The project started in March 2019 and will run for 33 months.

The work is being carried out with financial support from UK Government – Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) and the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. It is one of eleven new projects under the Innovative Veterinary Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance (InnoVet-AMR) initiative.

Developing a vaccine for porcine S. suis infections in Vietnam