Aim
The NOVADUCK project aims to develop and evaluate new highly protective and cost-effective avian influenza live vaccines for ducks based on live vectors and in line with the DIVA strategy (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals).
More specifically, the NOVADUCK project will:
- identify the optimal avian influenza (AI) immunogenic sequence(s) to be inserted into the selected live vectors;
- generate and optimise three types of live recombinant vector-based vaccines;
- develop reliable and cost-effective duck-specific immunological tools to measure the immune response induced by the different vaccine candidates and to detect infection in a vaccinated duck (DIVA strategy);
- assess the safety and immunogenicity of the new vectored vaccine candidates and compare it with those of existing vaccines to select the best vaccine candidate(s);
- set up a challenge model in ducks for vaccine evaluation of efficacy;
- measure the efficacy of the most immunogenic vectored vaccine candidates against recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and compare it with existing vaccines;
- study the effect of vaccination on genetic/antigenic drift;
- select the best candidate(s) to be developed based on its (their) immunogenic and protective properties as well as its (their) estimated cost of production and administration mode flexibility (e.g. individual versus mass administration).
