Unique Ebola vaccine delivery strategy could stop ape-to-human transmission

Putting an end to a lethal virus may mean going directly to the source, as one study suggests a possible approach to stopping the transmission of the Ebola virus. Michael Jarvis, PhD, and his Plymouth University colleagues began the study to protect both humans and endangered ape species. What the team found was a unique approach to delivering a single-dose vaccine resulting in long-lasting immunity against Ebola virus disease. Since apes serve as a main source of Ebola transmission to humans, the research was conducted on the basis that if the virus could be prevented in apes, then that would lower the frequency and severity of outbreaks among humans. The study, “A cytomegalovirus-based vaccine provides long-lasting protection against lethal Ebola virus challenge after a single dose”, was published in Vaccine on March 25. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is very immunogenic, species-specific, and can easily spread between individuals. Since many of the potentially infected apes live in...