Cross-Reactive Anti-Nucleocapsid Protein Immunity against Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Hazara Virus in Multiple Species
Merve Kalkan-Yazıcı, Elif Karaaslan, Nesibe Selma Çetin, Sevde Hasanoğlu, Filiz Güney, Ümit Zeybek, Mehmet Ziya Doymaz
Abstract
family, are transmitted to mammals by tick bites. CCHFV is considered to be a severe threat to public health and causes hemorrhagic diseases with a high mortality rate, and there are neither preventative nor therapeutic medications against CCHFV disease. HAZV, on the other hand, is not a pathogen to humans and can be studied under BSL-2 conditions. The antigenic relationship between these viruses is of interest for vaccines and for preventative investigations. Here, we demonstrate cross-reactivity in anti-NP humoral immune response between NPs of HAZV and CCHFV in multiple species. These results underline the utility of HAZV as a surrogate model to study CCHFV infection.