A comparison of antibody responses to commercial equine influenza vaccines following annual booster vaccination of National Hunt horses – a randomised blind study.
Abstract: Protection against equine influenza virus (EIV) relies largely on the production of circulating antibodies specific for the haemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein. The objective of this study was to determine the antibody response of National Hunt horses in training to booster vaccination. The antibody response to the six equine influenza vaccines available in Ireland (three whole inactivated vaccines, two subunit vaccines and a canary pox recombinant vaccine), was monitored by single radial haemolysis (SRH) for six months post vaccination. There was no significant difference between antibody response induced following booster vaccination with any of the six vaccines. The antibodies peaked between two and four weeks post vaccination, decreased significantly by three months post vaccination and declined to their original levels by six months post vaccination. Peak antibody response to the canary pox recombinant vaccine was delayed in comparison to the other vaccines. Although analysis of the mean SRH levels of the horses suggested that they were clinically protected post booster vaccination, analysis of the individual responses suggested that there was potential for vaccination breakdown in a manner similar to that observed previously in racing yards in Ireland. There was a significant correlation between the SRH level at the time of vaccination and the antibody response. The findings of the study suggest that it would be advantageous to monitor SRH levels and to vaccinate strategically. The revaccination of horses with low antibody levels three months post booster vaccination may have been more effective in protecting horses in this yard than the annual vaccination of horses with high SRH levels. Eighteen of the 44 (41%) horses included in this study did not demonstrate a significant rise in SRH level to H3N8 following booster vaccination. It is presumed that annual revaccination is the minimum necessary to protect all horses against EI but this assumption needs to be systematically evaluated. It has been demonstrated that shorter intervals are required for optimum protection of young horses and it may be that longer vaccination intervals are sufficient for older horses with several years of vaccination history. Further investigations in a larger population of horses will be necessary to determine if the findings of this study are applicable to the population at large.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2011-03-17 PubMed ID: 21419776DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.03.003Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study investigated the effectiveness of six different equine influenza vaccines in National Hunt horses in Ireland by monitoring the antibody response over six months. Despite variation in initial reactions, there was no significant difference in the antibody response induced by any of the vaccines.
Research Methodology
- The research used a randomised blind method to compare the antibody response to six different equine influenza vaccines available in Ireland. This ensured that bias in the experiment was minimised.
- The antibodies were monitored by a process called single radial haemolysis (SRH) for six months after vaccination.
- The study enrolled 44 National Hunt horses in Ireland for this experiment.
Findings
- There was no significant difference found in the antibody response induced by any of the vaccines. All participants reached their peak antibody response within two to four weeks of vaccination, and this level fell to their original levels by six months after vaccination.
- Peak antibody response to the canary pox recombinant vaccine was delayed compared to the other vaccines.
- Based on the average SRH levels, it seemed that the horses were clinically protected after the booster shot. However, analysis of individual responses suggested potential for vaccination breakdown, reminiscent of previous incidents in Irish racing yards.
- There was a significant relation between the SRH level at the time of vaccination and the antibody response, suggesting that monitoring SRH levels and strategising vaccination accordingly could prove beneficial.
Implications and Further Studies
- The results suggested that horses with low initial antibody levels may benefit from revaccination three months after the initial booster vaccination, instead of an annual vaccination as traditionally done.
- 18 out of the 44 horses in the study did not show a significant rise in SRH level to H3N8 influenza virus following the booster vaccination. This suggests that the current approach of annual revaccination might not be sufficient for all horses against equine influenza (EI) and needs to be evaluated systematically.
- The study also puts forth that shorter vaccination intervals might be necessary for young horses, while longer intervals might suffice for older horses with a history of vaccination.
- Additional research in larger horse populations will be necessary to confirm the findings of the study and their applicability to broader horse populations.
Cite This Article
APA
Gildea S, Arkins S, Walsh C, Cullinane A.
(2011).
A comparison of antibody responses to commercial equine influenza vaccines following annual booster vaccination of National Hunt horses – a randomised blind study.
Vaccine, 29(22), 3917-3922.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.03.003 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Virology Unit, The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Female
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horses
- Immunization, Secondary / methods
- Immunoassay / methods
- Influenza A Virus, H3N8 Subtype / immunology
- Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage
- Influenza Vaccines / immunology
- Ireland
- Male
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / immunology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / prevention & control
- Vaccination / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Wilson A, Pinchbeck G, Dean R, McGowan C. Equine influenza vaccination in the UK: Current practices may leave horses with suboptimal immunity.. Equine Vet J 2021 Sep;53(5):1004-1014.
- Reemers S, Sonnemans D, Horspool L, van Bommel S, Cao Q, van de Zande S. Determining Equine Influenza Virus Vaccine Efficacy-The Specific Contribution of Strain Versus Other Vaccine Attributes.. Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Sep 3;8(3).
- Entenfellner J, Gahan J, Garvey M, Walsh C, Venner M, Cullinane A. Response of Sport Horses to Different Formulations of Equine Influenza Vaccine.. Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Jul 10;8(3).
- Cullinane A, Gahan J, Walsh C, Nemoto M, Entenfellner J, Olguin-Perglione C, Garvey M, Huang Fu TQ, Venner M, Yamanaka T, Barrandeguy M, Fernandez CJ. Evaluation of Current Equine Influenza Vaccination Protocols Prior to Shipment, Guided by OIE Standards.. Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Feb 29;8(1).
- Fougerolle S, Fortier C, Legrand L, Jourdan M, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Pronost S, Paillot R. Success and Limitation of Equine Influenza Vaccination: The First Incursion in a Decade of a Florida Clade 1 Equine Influenza Virus that Shakes Protection Despite High Vaccine Coverage.. Vaccines (Basel) 2019 Nov 2;7(4).
- Blanco-Lobo P, Rodriguez L, Reedy S, Oladunni FS, Nogales A, Murcia PR, Chambers TM, Martinez-Sobrido L. A Bivalent Live-Attenuated Vaccine for the Prevention of Equine Influenza Virus.. Viruses 2019 Oct 11;11(10).
- Paillot R, Garrett D, Lopez-Alvarez MR, Birand I, Montesso F, Horspool L. The Immunity Gap Challenge: Protection against a Recent Florida Clade 2 Equine Influenza Strain.. Vaccines (Basel) 2018 Jul 2;6(3).
- van Dorland HA, Zanoni R, Gerber V, Jeannerat E, Wiederkehr D, Burger D. Antibody response to Influenza booster vaccination in Franches-Montagnes stallions supplemented with Equi-Strath(®) : a randomized trial.. Vet Med Sci 2018 May;4(2):133-139.
- Gildea S, Garvey M, Lyons P, Lyons R, Gahan J, Walsh C, Cullinane A. Multifocal Equine Influenza Outbreak with Vaccination Breakdown in Thoroughbred Racehorses.. Pathogens 2018 Apr 17;7(2).
- Paillot R, Marcillaud Pitel C, D'Ablon X, Pronost S. Equine Vaccines: How, When and Why? Report of the Vaccinology Session, French Equine Veterinarians Association, 2016, Reims.. Vaccines (Basel) 2017 Dec 4;5(4).
- Gildea S, Sanchez Higgins MJ, Johnson G, Walsh C, Cullinane A. Concurrent vaccination against equine influenza and equine herpesvirus - a practical approach.. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2016 Sep;10(5):433-7.
- Paillot R. A Systematic Review of Recent Advances in Equine Influenza Vaccination.. Vaccines (Basel) 2014 Nov 14;2(4):797-831.
- Galvin P, Gildea S, Arkins S, Walsh C, Cullinane A. The evaluation of a nucleoprotein ELISA for the detection of equine influenza antibodies and the differentiation of infected from vaccinated horses (DIVA).. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2013 Dec;7 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):73-80.
- Gildea S, Fitzpatrick DA, Cullinane A. Epidemiological and virological investigations of equine influenza outbreaks in Ireland (2010-2012).. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2013 Dec;7 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):61-72.
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