Antibody responses of horses to equine influenza viruses during a postepizootic period in Japan.
Abstract: The antibody responses to equine influenza viruses were investigated during a postepizootic period of the disease. Serum samples were collected from a total of 128 horses on three occasions during the years 1967-77. No significant increase of hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers to subtypes 1 and 2 of equine influenza virus were detected in any of the sera tested. The maternal hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers of foals decreased over a four month interval. A marked increase of the titers was recognized in only the equine influenza virus vaccinated horses. These findings suggest that equine influenza virus was not prevalent in the horse populations during the observation period. In such conditions, the dissemination of equine influenza viruses in the horses is discussed in relation to introduction of the disease from abroad. We also examined whether the doctrine of original antigenic sin, an immunological phenomenon recognized in human influenza, was applicable for equine influenza. However, no marked increase of hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titer to the primary infecting subtype in the 44 horses was observed after administration of the heterologous subtype vaccine.
Publication Date: 1982-01-01 PubMed ID: 7074415PubMed Central: PMC1320189
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the antibody responses in horses to equine influenza viruses during a period after an outbreak. The findings suggest that the virus was not prevalent among the horse populations at that time.
Study Design and Sampling
- The study took place in Japan during a period following an outbreak of equine influenza between 1967 and 1977.
- Serum samples were collected from a total of 128 horses, used to investigate their antibody responses.
Results and Observations
- No significant increase in hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers, which are a measure of the body’s immune response to a particular virus, was observed for equine influenza virus subtypes 1 and 2. This implies the horse population likely was not exposed to these types of the equine influenza virus during the study period.
- The maternal hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titers of foals (young horses) declined over a four-month period. This is expected as maternal antibodies generally diminish over time as the foal’s immune system develops.
- An observable boost in these titers was found only in horses that had been vaccinated against equine influenza virus, indicating the effectiveness of the vaccine in stimulating an immune response.
Discussion and Implications
- The study suggests that the equine influenza virus was not prevalent in the horse populations during the postepizootic period. The spread of the virus among the horses is discussed concerning the possibility of the disease being introduced from abroad.
- In addition, the study explored whether the doctrine of original antigenic sin, a well-known phenomenon in human influenza where the body’s immune system “remembers” a previously encountered virus and launches a response based on that memory when a new, related virus is encountered, applies to equine influenza. Yet, no notable increase in hemagglutination-inhibition antibody titer to the primary infecting subtype in the 44 horses was observed after administration of the heterologous subtype vaccine.
- This overall suggests that further research may be required to understand fully how equine immune systems respond to different subtypes of the equine influenza virus.
Cite This Article
APA
Goto H, Shimizu K, Taya Y, Noda H, Tokunaga T.
(1982).
Antibody responses of horses to equine influenza viruses during a postepizootic period in Japan.
Can J Comp Med, 46(1), 27-32.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / analysis
- Antibody Formation
- Female
- Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests / veterinary
- Horses / immunology
- Influenza A virus / immunology
- Influenza Vaccines / immunology
- Male
References
This article includes 13 references
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- Kono Y, Ishikawa K, Fukunaga Y, Fujino M. The first outbreak of equine influenza in Japan.. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Tokyo) 1972 Winter;12(4):183-7.
- Virelizier JL, Allison AC, Schild GC. Antibody responses to antigenic determinants of influenza virus hemagglutinin. II. Original antigenic sin: a bone marrow-derived lymphocyte memory phenomenon modulated by thymus-derived lymphocytes.. J Exp Med 1974 Dec 1;140(6):1571-8.
- Masurel N, Drescher J. Production of highly cross-reactive hemagglutination-inhibiting influenza antibodies in ferrets.. Infect Immun 1976 Apr;13(4):1023-9.
- Goto H, Shimizu K, Abe T, Kanamitsu M. Sero-epidemiological study on equine influenza in Japan.. J Clin Microbiol 1976 Aug;2(2):89-93.
- Thomson GR, Mumford JA, Spooner PR, Burrows R, Powell DG. The outbreak of equine influenza in England: January 1976.. Vet Rec 1977 May 28;100(22):465-8.
- Powell DG, Felmingham D. Equine influenza.. Vet Rec 1977 Sep 3;101(10):191-2.
- Goto H, Shimizu K. Antigenic relationship between the Tokyo and the Miami strains of equine influenza subtype 2 virus.. Nihon Juigaku Zasshi 1977 Oct;39(5):571-4.
- Burrows R, Spooner PR, Goodridge D. A three-year evaluation of four commercial equine influenza vaccines in ponies maintained in isolation.. Dev Biol Stand 1977 Jun 1-3;39:341-6.
- Powell DG, Burrows R, Spooner P, Mumford J, Thomson G. Field observations on influenza vaccination among horses in Britain, 1971-1976.. Dev Biol Stand 1977 Jun 1-3;39:347-52.
- Goto H, Shinagawa M, Shimizu K, Taya Y, Noda H, Tokunaga T. A serologic survey on equine influenza for the past ten years.. Nihon Juigaku Zasshi 1978 Aug;40(4):367-74.
- DAVENPORT FM, HENNESSY AV. A serologic recapitulation of past experiences with influenza A; antibody response to monovalent vaccine.. J Exp Med 1956 Jul 1;104(1):85-97.
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Paillot R. A Systematic Review of Recent Advances in Equine Influenza Vaccination. Vaccines (Basel) 2014 Nov 14;2(4):797-831.
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