Hemorrhagic feline calicivirus, calicivirus vaccine and method for preventing calicivirus infection or disease

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel, isolated and purified hemorrhagic feline calicivirus FCV-DD1. The invention further embraces monovalent and multivalent vaccines containing the new FCV-DD1 strain. In addition, the invention encompasses methods of protecting felines against infection or preventing disease caused by feline calicivirus alone or in addition to other pathogens that comprises administering to the felines an immunologically effective amount of the monovalent and multivalent vaccines described herein. Also, the invention concerns methods for diagnosing or detecting the hemorrhagic feline calicivirus in a susceptible host, asymptomatic carrier and the like by detecting the presence of feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 or antibodies raised or produced against feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 antigen.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A polyclonal or monoclonal antibody raised or produced against feline calicivirus FCV-DD1. 
     
     
         30 . A method of stimulating the formation of antibodies against feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 which comprises administering to a feline an immunologically effective amount of FCV-DD1 or an antigenic subunit thereof. 
     
     
         31 . A method of detecting or diagnosing a hemorrhagic feline calicivirus infection in a susceptible host which comprises analyzing a biological specimen from the host and detecting the presence of feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 or an antibody raised or produced against feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 in the biological specimen. 
     
     
         32 . A method of detecting an antibody to feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 in a biological sample which comprises contacting the biological sample with an antigen comprising feline calicivirus FCV-DD1 and detecting or observing the formation of an antigen-antibody immune complex. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the antigen is whole virus FCV-DD1. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the antigen is an antigenic subunit of FCV-DD1. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the antigen-antibody immune complex is detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the antigen-antibody immune complex is detected by Western blot. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the antigen-antibody immune complex is detected by flow cytometry. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the antigen-antibody immune complex is detected by IFA. 
     
     
         39 . An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting an antibody to FCV-DD1 antigen, which comprises a solid support coated with FCV-DD1 and a detectable substrate that indicates when the antibody binds to the antigen. 
     
     
         40 . A method of detecting a carrier of hemorrhagic feline calicivirus antigen, which comprises the steps of:
 (a) obtaining a test sample;   (b) incubating the test sample with an antibody to FCV-DD1;   (c) allowing the formation of an antibody-antigen complex; and   (d) detecting the presence of the antibody-antigen complex.