Rapid neutralizing assay for circulating H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cows

Abstract

A rapid and safe neutralization assay is required for emerging highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, including the H5N1 subtype, which was recently found in cows. Herein, we report a novel neutralization assay using HiBiT-tagged virus-like particles (hiVLPs). Our hiVLP-based neutralization test demonstrated a higher quantitative value and shorter assay time than conventional methods. We used this assay to evaluate whether the neutralizing antibodies induced by the candidate vaccine virus (NIID-002) were cross-reactive with cow-derived H5N1. Our results suggest that the circulating H5N1 virus in cows shares antigenic characteristics with NIID-002, providing significant implications for the development and preparation of vaccines.