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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Am Vet Med Assoc / Field study of the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of a...
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association1997; 211(2); 193-198;

Field study of the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of an inactivated equine rotavirus vaccine.

Abstract: To determine safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of an inactivated equine rotavirus vaccine. Methods: Prospective randomized controlled trial. Methods: 316 pregnant Thoroughbred mares during the first year of the study and 311 during the second year. Methods: During the first year, mares received 3 doses of vaccine or placebo, IM, at 8, 9, and 10 months of gestation. Serum neutralizing antibody titers were measured before vaccination and 1 and 35 days after foaling. Antibody titers were measured in foals 1, 7, 35, 60, 90, and 120 days after birth. During the second year, mares that had been vaccinated the previous year received a single booster dose of vaccine approximately 1 month prior to parturition. Mares that had received the placebo the previous year and mares new to the study received 3 doses of vaccine or placebo. Serum neutralizing antibody titers were measured in samples taken from mares approximately 1 day after foaling and from foals approximately 1 and 60 days after birth. Results: Adverse reactions were not observed. Antibody titers were significantly increased at the time of foaling and 35 days after foaling in vaccinated, compared with control, mares and for 90 days after birth in foals born to vaccinated, compared with foals born to control, mares. Incidence of rotaviral diarrhea was lower in foals born to vaccinated, compared with foals born to control, mares, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions: Results suggest that the equine rotavirus vaccine is safe and immunogenic and that reasonable efficacy under field conditions can be expected.
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Publication Date: 1997-07-15 PubMed ID: 9227750
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  • Clinical Trial
  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • 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.

The research study examines the safety, how the immune system reacts to, and the effectiveness of a deactivated horse rotavirus vaccine. The study was conducted on pregnant racehorses and their foals, with promising results indicating that the equine rotavirus vaccine is safe and generates an immune response, and has a decent performance in real-world conditions.

Research Methodology

  • The research was a prospective randomized controlled trial, considered a gold standard in clinical research design, which adds credibility to the findings.
  • The study was conducted over two years, with 316 pregnant Thoroughbred mares in the first year and 311 in the second year.
  • In the first year, mares were given either three doses of vaccine or a placebo (a substance that has no therapeutic effect) at 8, 9, and 10 months of pregnancy.
  • Neutralizing antibody titers (a measure of the concentration of antibodies that can fight off the virus) in the mares were measured before vaccination and 1 and 35 days after giving birth.
  • In the foals, antibody titers were measured at multiple points in time: 1, 7, 35, 60, 90, and 120 days after birth.
  • In the second year, mares who were vaccinated in the first year were given a single booster dose of vaccine about a month before giving birth. The mares that received the placebo in the first year, and mares newly added to the study, were given either three doses of vaccine or placebo.
  • Neutralizing antibody titers in mares was measured approximately 1 day after giving birth and in foals approximately 1 and 60 days after birth.

Research Results

  • No adverse reactions were observed during the study, indicating the safety of the equine rotavirus vaccine.
  • Antibody titers significantly increased following vaccination at the point of giving birth and 35 days after in the vaccinated mares, compared to the control group mares.
  • Similarly, in foals born to vaccinated mares, antibody titers remained significantly higher for 90 days after birth compared to foals born to control group mares.
  • The incidence of rotavirus-induced diarrhea was lower in foals born to vaccinated mares compared to those born to control group mares, although the difference wasn’t statistically significant, which indicates a probable but not certain lower incidence of the disease.

Conclusions

  • These findings suggest the equine rotavirus vaccine is safe, provokes an adequate immune response (immunogenic), and provides a reasonable level of protection (efficacy) in real-world conditions.
  • This study strengthens the case for widespread use of this vaccine to help protect horses from rotavirus infection.

Cite This Article

APA
Powell DG, Dwyer RM, Traub-Dargatz JL, Fulker RH, Whalen JW, Srinivasappa J, Acree WM, Chu HJ. (1997). Field study of the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of an inactivated equine rotavirus vaccine. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 211(2), 193-198.

Publication

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN: 0003-1488
NlmUniqueID: 7503067
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 211
Issue: 2
Pages: 193-198

Researcher Affiliations

Powell, D G
  • Department of Veterinary Science, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546, USA.
Dwyer, R M
    Traub-Dargatz, J L
      Fulker, R H
        Whalen, J W
          Srinivasappa, J
            Acree, W M
              Chu, H J

                MeSH Terms

                • Analysis of Variance
                • Animals
                • Antibodies, Viral / blood
                • Diarrhea / etiology
                • Diarrhea / prevention & control
                • Diarrhea / veterinary
                • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
                • Female
                • Fetal Death
                • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                • Horse Diseases / immunology
                • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
                • Horses
                • Immunity, Maternally-Acquired / immunology
                • Incidence
                • Pregnancy
                • Pregnancy, Animal / immunology
                • Prospective Studies
                • Rotavirus / immunology
                • Rotavirus Infections / complications
                • Rotavirus Infections / prevention & control
                • Rotavirus Infections / veterinary
                • Vaccines, Inactivated / adverse effects
                • Vaccines, Inactivated / immunology
                • Vaccines, Inactivated / standards
                • Viral Vaccines / adverse effects
                • Viral Vaccines / immunology
                • Viral Vaccines / standards

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