Analysis of Recombinant Cedar Virus Infection and Cross-Protection Against Related Henipaviruses in African Green Monkeys

Declan D. Pigeaud,Moushimi Amaya,V. Borisevich,Karla A. Fenton,K. Agans,Courtney Woolsey,A. Dimitrov,A. Prasad,Natalie S. Dobias,D. Deer,J. Geisbert,R. Cross,C. C. Broder,T. Geisbert

Published 2026 in Viruses

ABSTRACT

Cedar virus (CedV), related to the highly pathogenic bat-borne henipaviruses, Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV), is non-pathogenic in small animal models, likely due to the inability to produce interferon-antagonist proteins. We evaluated the pathogenesis of recombinant CedV (rCedV) in the African green monkey (AGM) model and determined if prior infection conferred cross-protective immunity against a lethal challenge with NiV Bangladesh (NiV-B) or HeV. AGMs infected with rCedV remained asymptomatic, with no clinical signs of disease or detectable viremia. The rCedV infected animals developed homologous neutralizing antibody responses that failed to cross-neutralize NiV-B or HeV. At 42 days post-rCedV infection, AGMs were challenged with a lethal dose of NiV-B or HeV, and prior infection with rCedV failed to protect against NiV-B challenge, with all animals succumbing to NiV-B. Similarly, rCedV infection did not confer consistent protection against HeV, with 2/4 animals succumbing to lethal HeV. These findings confirm that CedV is non-pathogenic in the AGM model of NiV and HeV infection, justifying its classification as a BSL-2 agent. The findings also demonstrate that rCedV does not elicit a cross-protective immune response to prevent lethal disease from either NiV-B or HeV highlighting significant immunological differences between CedV and the pathogenic henipaviruses.

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