Development of Vaccines against Emerging Mosquito-Vectored Arbovirus Infections

Abstract

Among emergent climate-sensitive infectious diseases, some mosquito-vectored arbovirus infections have epidemiological, social, and economic effects. Dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease, previously common only in the tropics, currently pose a major risk to global health and are expected to expand dramatically in the near future if adequate containment measures are not implemented. The lack of safe and effective vaccines is critical as it seems likely that emerging mosquito-vectored arbovirus infections will be con-trolled only when effective and safe vaccines against each of these infections become available. This paper discusses the clinical characteristics of DENV, WNV, and CHIKV infections and the state of development of vaccines against these viruses. An ideal vaccine should be able to evoke with a single administration a prompt activation of B and T cells, adequate concentrations of protecting/neutralizing antibodies, and the creation of a strong immune memory capable of triggering an effective secondary antibody response after new infection with a wild-type and/or mutated infectious agent. Moreover, the vaccine should be well tolerated, safe, easily administrated, cost-effective, and widely available throughout the world. However, the development of vaccines against emerging mosquito-vectored arbovirus diseases is far from being satisfactory, and it seems likely that it will take many years before effective and safe vaccines for all these infections are made available worldwide.