Advances and perspectives in the development of vaccines against highly pathogenic bunyaviruses

Abstract

Increased human activities around the globe and the rapid development of once rural regions have increased the probability of contact between humans and wild animals. A majority of bunyaviruses are of zoonotic origin, and outbreaks may result in the substantial loss of lives, economy contraction, and social instability. Many bunyaviruses require manipulation in the highest levels of biocontainment, such as Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories, and the scarcity of this resource has limited the development speed of vaccines for these pathogens. Meanwhile, new technologies have been created, and used to innovate vaccines, like the mRNA vaccine platform and bioinformatics-based antigen design. Here, we summarize current vaccine developments for three different bunyaviruses requiring work in the highest levels of biocontainment: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV), Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV), and Hantaan virus (HTNV), and provide perspectives and potential future directions that can be further explored to advance specific vaccines for humans and livestock.