Induction of immune responses in ducks with a DNA vaccine encoding duck plague virus glycoprotein C.

Background: A DNA vaccine expressing glycoprotein C (gC) of duck plague virus (DPV) was evaluated for inducing immunity in ducks. The plasmid encoding gC of DPV was administered via intramuscular (IM) injection and gene gun bombardment.

Results: After immunization by both routes virus-specific serum antibody and T-cell responses developed.

Identification and characterization of duck plague virus glycoprotein C gene and gene product.

Background: Viral envelope proteins have been proposed to play significant roles in the process of viral infection.

Results: In this study, an envelope protein gene, gC (NCBI GenBank accession no. EU076811), was expressed and characterized from duck plague virus (DPV), a member of the family herpesviridae.

A Thymidine Kinase recombinant protein-based ELISA for detecting antibodies to Duck Plague Virus.

Background: Duck plague virus (DPV) is the causative agent of Duck Plague (DP) that causes significant morbidity and mortality throughout duck-producing areas of the world. The diagnosis of DP currently relies on the use of live or inactivated whole DPV virion as antigens in ELISA, but it is too laborious and expensive for routine application, and it is still difficult to get purified DPV virion with current technology.

Results: In this study, we describe the expression and purification of a recombinant Thymidine Kinase (TK) protein which makes antigen in an in-house developed, optimized and standardized ELISA.