Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Powassan Virus Infections at Different Times After Immunization with the TBE Vaccine in In Vivo Experiments

Ranges of distribution of some orthoflaviviruses, including the Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV) and the Powassan virus (POWV), have been identified in the range endemic for the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). In contrast to TBEV, no registered vaccine against OHFV and POWV is currently available. Nevertheless, recent studies have indicated that the anti-TBEV vaccine may offer partial protection against other orthoflaviviruses. The present study assesses OHFV and POWV infection in an experimental model on BALB/c mice one, three- and twelve-months post-immunization with inactivated TBE vaccine. The TBE vaccine was shown to provide long-term protection against OHFV and partial protection against POWV, even in the absence of specific antibodies, and without indications of antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. The neutralizing antibody titer for OHFV in vaccinated animals before and after the challenge with OHFV was similar to the titer of antibodies against the TBEV vaccine strain. Following immunization with anti-TBEV vaccine and subsequent inoculation of POWV, the levels of neutralizing antibodies against the TBEV vaccine strain was observed to be higher compared to those targeting POWV, especially during the initial phase of infection. Such cross-reactive antibodies have potential to pose a significant diagnostic challenge in cases where an infection is occurring simultaneously with an immune response to another virus.