Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 whole-cell antigens (OCV antigens)

Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 whole-cell antigens are the primary immunogenic components of modern bivalent oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) (WHO, 2017). These antigens consist of inactivated (killed) bacterial cells from the two serogroups responsible for epidemic and pandemic cholera: O1 (including both Ogawa and Inaba serotypes) and O139 (Clemens et al., 2017). The O1 serogroup has been the cause of all recorded pandemics except for a significant outbreak of O139 in the 1990s (CDC, 2022). The primary target of the immune response elicited by these antigens is the O-specific polysaccharide (OSP) of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) located on the bacterial surface (Kanungo et al., 2022). Upon oral administration, these antigens interact with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) to induce the production of protective secretory IgA in the intestinal mucosa and systemic vibriocidal antibodies in the serum. This dual immune response prevents the colonization and multiplication of virulent Vibrio cholerae in the small intestine, thereby protecting the individual from the severe, dehydrating diarrhea characteristic of the disease (WHO, 2017). These antigens are essential for public health interventions in cholera-endemic regions and during humanitarian emergencies (Kanungo et al., 2022).

Other names

V. cholerae O1/O139 antigensInactivated Vibrio cholerae whole cellsBivalent oral cholera vaccine antigensKilled whole-cell Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139

Induction of mucosal secretory IgA and systemic vibriocidal antibodies that inhibit bacterial colonization and neutralize the effects of Vibrio cholerae in the gastrointestinal tract (WHO, 2017; Clemens et al., 2017).