Thermal stress treatment does not affect the stability and protective capacity of goat milk derived E2-marker vaccine formulation against CSFV

Classical swine fever virus produces a huge mortality in infected herds during recurrent outbreaks, predominantly in tropical and subtropical areas. In this scenario, it is common that cold-chain related issues affect the efficacy of virus attenuated-derived vaccines, which are frequently used in eradication programs. In the present work, the stability and protective capacity of a recombinant vaccine preparation, based on goat milk derived E2 glycoprotein extracellular domain, were both analyzed after incubation at 4 °C or 37 °C for 1 week. Differences in the viscosity and in the homodimeric form of the antigen were observed after comparing physicochemical properties of stressed and not stressed vaccine formulations. However, these differences did not affect the immunogenicity and protective capacity of such preparations. Noticeably, pigs immunized with the E2-based vaccine subjected to thermal stress became totally protected from the viral infection, after a challenge with 105 PLD50 of a high virulent classical swine fever strain. This result supports the practical value of this vaccine preparation mostly for those regions in which cold-chain related failures tend to affect the protective capability of conventional virus attenuated vaccines.