Habarugira G. auteur aut IRD Harrison J.J. auteur aut IRD Moran J. auteur aut IRD Suen W.W. auteur aut IRD Colmant Agathe auteur aut IRD Hobson-Peters J. auteur aut IRD Isberg S.R. auteur aut IRD Bielefeldt-Ohmann H. auteur aut IRD Hall R.A. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access West Nile virus (WNV) causes skin lesions in farmed crocodiles leading to the depreciation of the value of their hides and significant economic losses. However, there is no commercially available vaccine designed for use in crocodilians against WNV. We tested chimeric virus vaccines composed of the non-structural genes of the insect-specific flavivirus Binjari virus (BinJV) and genes encoding the structural proteins of WNV. The BinJV/WNV chimera, is antigenically similar to wild-type WNV but replication-defective in vertebrates. Intramuscular injection of two doses of BinJV/WNV in hatchling saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) elicited a robust neutralising antibody response and conferred protection against viremia and skin lesions after challenge with WNV. In contrast, mock-vaccinated crocodiles became viraemic and 22.2% exhibited WNV-induced lesions. This suggests that the BinJV/WNV chimera is a safe and efficacious vaccine for preventing WNV-induced skin lesions in farmed crocodilians. specialized AUSTRALIE 052 080 094 8 93 [9 ] 2023 2059-0105 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010088365 10.1038/s41541-023-00688-w 2059-0105 [F B010088365] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010088365 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/2023-08/010088365.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2023-07-11 2025-02-24 fdi:010088365 fre