Equine influenza in the Netherlands during the winter of 1978-1979; antigenic drift of the A-equi 2 virus.
Abstract: Influenza virus A-equi 2(Heq2Neq2) caused an epizootic in the Netherlands in the winter of 1978-1979. Horses vaccinated with A/Equi/Praha/56 (HEq1Neq1) and A/Equi/Miami/63 (Heq2Neq2) were also infected and showed clinical signs. The virus involved showed a marked antigenic drift from the prototype and vaccine strain A/Equi/Miami/63 (Heq2Neq2). Infection of ferrets with the Dutch/79 isolates gave rise to high haemagglutination-inhibition antibody titres to a number of A-Equi 2-1963, 1968 and 1979 viruses. The incorporation of this virus into future influenza vaccines should be considered.
Publication Date: 1981-04-15 PubMed ID: 7245173DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1981.9693801Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study reports on an outbreak of equine influenza in the Netherlands during the winter of 1978-1979. Despite being vaccinated, horses were infected and exhibited clinical symptoms. This was attributed to a significant antigenic drift in the influenza virus.
Background and Objectives
The research investigated an outbreak of equine influenza, caused by the A-equi 2 (Heq2Neq2) virus, in the Netherlands in the winter of 1978-1979. The main aim of the study was to identify the virus strain responsible for the outbreak and its antigenic properties.
Methods
- The research was initiated in response to an epizootic, or disease outbreak, among horses in the Netherlands.
- The horses involved had been vaccinated with specific antiviral strains, A/Equi/Praha/56 (HEq1Neq1) and A/Equi/Miami/63 (Heq2Neq2).
- The properties of the virus causing the outbreak were examined closely because the vaccinated horses still experienced infection and showed clinical signs.
- The researchers used a technique called hemagglutination-inhibition assay to measure the levels of antibodies that could neutralize the influenza virus in infected ferrets.
Results
- The investigation revealed that the virus responsible for the outbreak had a marked antigenic drift (an evolutionary mechanism in which mutations accumulate in the antigenic sites of viruses) from the prototype and vaccine strain A/Equi/Miami/63 (Heq2Neq2).
- The Dutch/79 isolates, when used to infect ferrets, led to high levels of antibodies that neutralized a number of A-Equi 2-1963, 1968, and 1979 viruses.
Conclusions and Implications
- The research concluded that the strain of the virus implicated in the outbreak had significantly evolved, leading to the failure of the vaccines to provide protection to the horses.
- Based on these findings, the researchers recommended that this new strain of the virus should be considered for inclusion in future influenza vaccines to provide immunity against the evolved virus.
Cite This Article
APA
van Oirschot JT, Masurel N, Huffels AD, Anker WJ.
(1981).
Equine influenza in the Netherlands during the winter of 1978-1979; antigenic drift of the A-equi 2 virus.
Vet Q, 3(2), 80-84.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01652176.1981.9693801 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antigens, Viral / genetics
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Influenza A virus / genetics
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / microbiology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / veterinary
- Selection, Genetic
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Sreenivasan CC, Jandhyala SS, Luo S, Hause BM, Thomas M, Knudsen DEB, Leslie-Steen P, Clement T, Reedy SE, Chambers TM, Christopher-Hennings J, Nelson E, Wang D, Kaushik RS, Li F. Phylogenetic Analysis and Characterization of a Sporadic Isolate of Equine Influenza A H3N8 from an Unvaccinated Horse in 2015. Viruses 2018 Jan 11;10(1).
- Lu Z, Chambers TM, Boliar S, Branscum AJ, Sturgill TL, Timoney PJ, Reedy SE, Tudor LR, Dubovi EJ, Vickers ML, Sells S, Balasuriya UB. Development and evaluation of one-step TaqMan real-time reverse transcription-PCR assays targeting nucleoprotein, matrix, and hemagglutinin genes of equine influenza virus. J Clin Microbiol 2009 Dec;47(12):3907-13.
- Wood JM, Mumford J, Folkers C, Scott AM, Schild GC. Studies with inactivated equine influenza vaccine. 1. Serological responses of ponies to graded doses of vaccine. J Hyg (Lond) 1983 Jun;90(3):371-84.
- Mumford J, Wood JM, Scott AM, Folkers C, Schild GC. Studies with inactivated equine influenza vaccine. 2. Protection against experimental infection with influenza virus A/equine/Newmarket/79 (H3N8). J Hyg (Lond) 1983 Jun;90(3):385-95.
- Burrows R, Denyer M. Antigenic properties of some equine influenza viruses. Arch Virol 1982;73(1):15-24.
- Endo A, Pecoraro R, Sugita S, Nerome K. Evolutionary pattern of the H 3 haemagglutinin of equine influenza viruses: multiple evolutionary lineages and frozen replication. Arch Virol 1992;123(1-2):73-87.
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