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Equine veterinary journal2007; 39(6); 491-497; doi: 10.2746/042516407X217416

Efficacy, duration, and onset of immunogenicity of a West Nile virus vaccine, live Flavivirus chimera, in horses with a clinical disease challenge model.

Abstract: West Nile virus (WNF) is a Flavivirus responsible for a life-threatening neurological disease in man and horses. Development of improved vaccines against Flavivirus infections is therefore important. Objective: To establish that a single immunogenicity dose of live Flavivirus chimera (WN-FV) vaccine protects horses from the disease and it induces a protective immune response, and to determine the duration of the protective immunity. Methods: Clinical signs were compared between vaccinated (VACC) and control (CTRL) horses after an intrathecal WNV challenge given at 10 or 28 days, or 12 months post vaccination. Results: Challenge of horses in the immunogenicity study at Day 28 post vaccination resulted in severe clinical signs of WNV infection in 10/10 control (CTRL) compared to 1/20 vaccinated (VACC) horses (P<0.01). None of the VACC horses developed viraemia and minimal histopathology was noted. Duration of immunity (DPI) was established at 12 months post vaccination. Eight of 10 CTRL exhibited severe clinical signs of infection compared to 1 of 9 VACC horses (P<0.05). There was a significant reduction in the occurrence of viraemia and histopathology lesion in VACC horses relative to CTRL horses. Horses challenged at Day 10 post vaccination experienced moderate or severe clinical signs of WNV infection in 3/3 CTRL compared to 5/6 VACC horses (P<0.05). Conclusions: This novel WN-FV chimera vaccine generates a protective immune response to WNV infection in horses that is demonstrated 10 days after a single vaccination and lasts for up to one year. Conclusions: This is the first USDA licensed equine WNV vaccine to utilise a severe challenge model that produces the same WNV disease observed under field conditions to obtain a label claim for prevention of viraemia and aid in the prevention of WNV disease and encephalitis with a duration of immunity of 12 months.
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Publication Date: 2007-12-11 PubMed ID: 18065305DOI: 10.2746/042516407X217416Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research evaluated the effectiveness of a vaccine for West Nile virus (WN-FV chimera) in horses and found that it offers protective immunity that lasts for up to one year after a single dose.

Objective and Methodology

The study aimed to verify the effectiveness, onset, and duration of immunogenicity (the ability to provoke an immune response) of a novel West Nile virus vaccine in horses through a clinical disease challenge model. Researchers tested the vaccine in horses and compared the clinical signs of West Nile virus between vaccinated horses and control horses not given the vaccine. The model involved challenging the horses with an intrathecal West Nile virus injection at either 10 or 28 days, or 12 months after vaccination.

  • Vaccinated horses were denoted as VACC, while control horses were indicated as CTRL.
  • The study set out to establish the duration of the protective immunity offered by the vaccine.

Results

Post-vaccination, the researchers exposed horses to West Nile virus, and the results presenting 28 days after vaccination were quite significant.

  • Upon the 28-day post-vaccination challenge, 10 out of 10 control horses showed severe clinical signs of West Nile virus infection, compared to only 1 out of 20 vaccinated horses.
  • None of the vaccinated horses developed viraemia (presence of virus in the blood), and minimal histopathology (microscopic examination of tissues for disease study) was noted.
  • At a 12-month post-vaccination challenge, 8 out of 10 control horses exhibited severe clinical signs of infection, compared to only 1 out of 9 vaccinated horses. The vaccinated horses displayed a significant decrease in viraemia and histopathology lesions.
  • When challenged at Day 10 post-vaccination, moderate or severe clinical signs were present in all control horses, while only in a higher percentage of vaccinated horses.

Conclusion

This novel West Nile virus vaccine (WN-FV chimera) is capable of generating a protective immune response against West Nile virus infection in horses. This immune response is evident as early as 10 days after a single vaccination and lasts for as long as one year.

  • This vaccine is the first United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensed equine West Nile virus vaccine to use such a severe challenge model that induces the same disease as observed under field conditions to secure a label claim for facilitating viraemia prevention and West Nile virus disease and encephalitis prevention.
  • The study concludes that the protective immunity granted by this vaccine has a duration of 12 months.

Cite This Article

APA
Long MT, Gibbs EP, Mellencamp MW, Bowen RA, Seino KK, Zhang S, Beachboard SE, Humphrey PP. (2007). Efficacy, duration, and onset of immunogenicity of a West Nile virus vaccine, live Flavivirus chimera, in horses with a clinical disease challenge model. Equine Vet J, 39(6), 491-497. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516407X217416

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 39
Issue: 6
Pages: 491-497

Researcher Affiliations

Long, M T
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 2015 SW 16th Ave., Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Gibbs, E P J
    Mellencamp, M W
      Bowen, R A
        Seino, K K
          Zhang, S
            Beachboard, S E
              Humphrey, P P

                MeSH Terms

                • Animals
                • Antibodies, Viral / blood
                • Chimera
                • Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
                • Female
                • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
                • Horses
                • Male
                • Random Allocation
                • Safety
                • Severity of Illness Index
                • Time Factors
                • Treatment Outcome
                • Vaccines, Attenuated / administration & dosage
                • Vaccines, Attenuated / adverse effects
                • Vaccines, Attenuated / immunology
                • Viremia / veterinary
                • Virulence
                • West Nile Fever / epidemiology
                • West Nile Fever / prevention & control
                • West Nile Fever / veterinary
                • West Nile Virus Vaccines / administration & dosage
                • West Nile Virus Vaccines / adverse effects
                • West Nile Virus Vaccines / immunology
                • West Nile virus / immunology
                • West Nile virus / pathogenicity

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