Isolation and Characterization of Cross-Reactive Human Monoclonal Antibodies That Potently Neutralize Australian Bat Lyssavirus Variants and Other Phylogroup 1 Lyssaviruses

Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is a rhabdovirus that circulates in four species of pteropid bats (ABLVp) and the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed (ABLVs) mainland Australia. In three confirmed human cases ABLV, rabies illness preceded fatality. As with virus (RABV), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for potential ABLV infections consists wound cleansing, administration vaccine injection immunoglobulin (RIG) proximal to wound. Despite efficacy PEP, inaccessibility RIG (HRIG) developing world high immunogenicity equine (ERIG) has led consideration monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) as passive immunization option offers enhanced safety specificity. Using recombinant vesicular stomatitis (rVSV) expressing glycoprotein (G) protein ABLVs phage display, we identified two hmAbs, A6 F11, which completely neutralize ABLVs/ABLVp, RABV at concentrations ranging from 0.39 6.25 µg/mL 0.19 respectively. F11 recognize overlapping epitopes G protein, effectively neutralizing phylogroup 1 lyssaviruses, while having little effect on 2 non-grouped diverse lyssaviruses. These results suggest could be effective therapeutic diagnostic tools infections.