Chicken astrovirus type 2
The present invention provides a new chicken astrovirus (CAstV). This chicken astrovirus (CAstV-2) is immunologically distinct from known avian astroviruses and can be used to prepare vaccines.
1. A chicken astrovirus type 2 (CAstV-2), characterised in that the virus is the CAstV deposited under accession no. I-2932 at the Collection Nationale de Cultures de Microorganisms (CNCM) of the Institute Pasteur, Paris, France or a CastV-2 that is able to induce antiserum having a neutralizing antibody liter greater than or equal to 128 against the deposited virus as measured in a virus neutralization assay and greater than or equal to 32 as measured in an immunofluorescence assay.
2. An immunogenic composition comprising a CAstV-2 according to claim 1 , together with a pharmaceutically acceptable cater or diluent.
3. The immunogenic composition according to claim 2 , characterized in the CAstV-2 is in a live attenuated form.
4. The immunogenic composition of claim 2 , further comprising one or more vaccine components of other pathogens infectious to poultry.
5. The immunogenic composition according to claim 2 , further comprising an adjuvant.
6. A method for the preparation of CAstV-2 antigen material, wherein a CAstV-2 according to claim 1 is propagated in a cell culture and subsequently harvested from the cell culture.
7. A method for the preparation of a vaccine according to claim 2 , an immunogenic composition, wherein a CAstV-2 according to claim 1 is mixed with a pharmaceutical pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or a diluent.
8. A method for raising an immune response in poultry, against avian astrovirus, comprising administering an immunogenic composition according to claim 2 to poultry.