A multivalent bovine respiratory disease vaccine built on the live-attenuated BoHV-1 R2 platform

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of illness, death, and economic loss by infectious disease in the cattle industry, responsible for over a billion dollars in annual costs in the United States. BRD is caused by a complex of viral and bacterial pathogens including bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bovine parainfluenza virus (BPIV-3). Current vaccines offer limited protection and present safety concerns, particularly because BoHV-1 modified-live vaccines (MLVs) retain the ability to establish latency in the nervous system, allowing the MLV to reactivate and aggravatedisease within herds. To address this, we developed the BoHV-1 R2 vaccine platform, which debilitates the ability of the MLV to invade the nervous system while preserving its capacity toinduce strong immunity.With this project, we aim to build on the BoHV-1 R2 platform by engineering a single, integrated vaccine that expresses protective antigens from BRSV and BPIV-3. This multiplexed vaccine is designed to provide broad protection against the three major viral contributors to BRD while maintaining an improved safety profile and reducing vaccine production costs. By creating a safe, effective, and economically viable solution, we hope to improve animal health and welfare, decrease reliance on antibiotics, and help mitigate the significant financial impact of BRD on cattle producers.