Equine influenza immunity in the Special Restricted Area (Purple Zone) of New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract: The 2007 equine influenza (EI) outbreak in New South Wales (NSW) consisted of a central infected area that extended south from the lower New England Tableland, across the Hunter Valley, Central Coast and the Sydney basin, and a series of isolated clusters outside this area across rural NSW. The central area was assigned the status of a Purple Zone (Special Restricted Area, SRA) approximately 1 month after the outbreak commenced. Within this SRA, the eradication program's focus was to increase the proportion of horses immune to EI via vaccination, thus reducing the susceptible proportion to a level below the critical threshold for EI spread. An estimated 84-87% of all horse-owning premises achieved immunity to EI by the end of the outbreak. A high proportion (60-90%) of premises within most parts of the SRA became naturally infected with EI, and the rate of newly infected premises fell to low levels before EI vaccination commenced. Immunity to EI from very rapid natural spread appears to have been the most important factor in disease eradication within the SRA.
© 2011 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2011 Australian Veterinary Association.
Publication Date: 2011-07-08 PubMed ID: 21711307DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00762.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article focuses on the 2007 equine influenza outbreak across New South Wales in Australia. The study seeks to understand the effectiveness of vaccinations and immunity amongst horses in relation to disease eradication.
Understanding the Equine Influenza Outbreak
- The study points out that the equine influenza outbreak in 2007 affected a significant area within New South Wales. The central area of the outbreak was designated as the Purple Zone or Special Restricted Area (SRA) one month after the outbreak started.
- The outbreak encompassed areas spanning from the lower New England Tableland to the Sydney basin. There were also sporadic clusters outside this central area but within rural New South Wales.
Addressing the Outbreak through Immunity and Vaccination
- The main strategy to handle the outbreak within the SRA was to boost the immunity level among horses. The goal was to decrease the ratio of susceptible horses below the critical threshold necessary for the illness to continue to spread.
- The method used to increase immunity was through vaccination. The study reveals that an estimated 84%-87% of all horse-owning premises accomplished immunity by the end of the outbreak.
Immunity within the Special Restricted Area
- The research highlights that a large percentage of the premises (60-90%) within the SRA experienced natural infection with equine influenza.
- The rate of new infections dropped drastically even before the vaccination program began. This indicates that immunity from natural infection played a pivotal role in disease eradication within the SRA.
- The outcome of the study indicates that natural immunity may have been more critical to disease eradication within the designated area than was initially estimated.
Cite This Article
APA
Wilson G, Cooper K, Williams J, Eastwood S, Peake C.
(2011).
Equine influenza immunity in the Special Restricted Area (Purple Zone) of New South Wales, Australia.
Aust Vet J, 89 Suppl 1, 116-120.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00762.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, New South Wales 2568, Australia. biobrokers@bigpond.com
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cluster Analysis
- Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Immunity, Herd / immunology
- Influenza A Virus, H3N8 Subtype / immunology
- Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage
- Influenza Vaccines / immunology
- New South Wales / epidemiology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / epidemiology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / immunology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / prevention & control
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / veterinary
- Quarantine / veterinary
- Vaccination / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Paillot R, El-Hage CM. The Use of a Recombinant Canarypox-Based Equine Influenza Vaccine during the 2007 Australian Outbreak: A Systematic Review and Summary. Pathogens 2016 Jun 10;5(2).
- 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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