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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vaccines (Basel) / Immune Response after Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encepha...
Vaccines2024; 12(9); 1074; doi: 10.3390/vaccines12091074

Immune Response after Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) in Horses.

Abstract: (1) Background: Horses infected by a tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) can develop clinically apparent infections. In humans, vaccination is the most effective preventive measure, while a vaccine is not available for horses. The objective of this study was to describe the immune response in horses after a TBEV vaccination with a human vaccine. (2) Materials and Methods: Seven healthy horses were randomised to a treatment or a control group in a stratified fashion based on TBEV-IgG concentrations on day -4. The treatment group ( = 4) was intramuscularly vaccinated using an inactivated human TBEV vaccine on days 0 and 28; the control group ( = 3) did not receive an injection. A clinical examination and blood sampling were performed on day -4, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 43, 56, 84, and 373. A linear mixed model analysis was used to compare IgG and IgM concentrations, neutralising antibody (nAb) titres, leucocyte count, serum amyloid A (SAA), and fibrinogen and globulin concentrations between the groups and time points. (3) Results: The clinical examination was normal in all horses at all time points. There were no significant changes in SAA, globulin, and fibrinogen concentrations and leucocyte count between the groups or time points (all > 0.05). There was no significant increase in IgG, IgM, or nAb titres in the control group over time (all > 0.05). In the vaccination group, there was a significant increase in IgG concentration and nAb titres after the second vaccination ( 0.05). One horse in the vaccination group had an IgM concentration above the laboratory reference on day 10. (4) Conclusions: The human TBEV vaccine did not have side effects when used in healthy horses in this study. A significant rise in TBEV-specific IgG antibodies and nAbs after the second vaccination was observed. However, IgG and nAb titres have been shown to decrease within 1 year after vaccination. The results of this study indicate that a vaccination with a human vaccine only induces a mild rise in IgM antibodies and only in previously naive horses. With no significant changes to inflammatory parameters in the vaccinated horses, it remains unclear whether vaccination with the human vaccine leads to protective immunity.
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Publication Date: 2024-09-19 PubMed ID: 39340104PubMed Central: PMC11435670DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12091074Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

Immune Response after Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) in Horses

Overview

  • This study investigates the immune response of horses after receiving a human vaccine against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV), focusing on antibody production and safety.
  • The research aims to determine whether the human vaccine induces protective immunity in horses and examines potential side effects.

Background and Rationale

  • Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) can infect horses and cause clinical disease, similar to humans.
  • In humans, vaccination is the most effective prevention against TBEV, but no vaccine is currently licensed for use in horses.
  • The study investigates the possibility of using a human inactivated TBEV vaccine in horses and characterizes the resulting immune response.

Study Design and Methods

  • Seven healthy horses were selected and divided into two groups based on their pre-existing TBEV-IgG antibody levels measured 4 days before vaccination.
  • The treatment group, consisting of 4 horses, was vaccinated intramuscularly with a human inactivated TBEV vaccine on day 0 and day 28.
  • The control group, with 3 horses, did not receive any vaccine or injection.
  • Serial clinical examinations and blood samples were collected at multiple time points spanning from four days before vaccination (day -4) to one year later (day 373).
  • The immune response was measured by quantifying:
    • TBEV-specific IgG and IgM antibody concentrations
    • Neutralising antibody (nAb) titres (indicative of functional virus-neutralizing capacity)
    • Inflammation and immune markers: leucocyte count, serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen, and globulin levels
  • Statistical analyses using linear mixed models compared these parameters between vaccinated and control groups over time.

Key Findings

  • Clinical health: No adverse effects or clinical abnormalities were detected in any horses throughout the study period.
  • Inflammatory markers: There were no significant changes in serum amyloid A, globulin, fibrinogen concentrations, or white blood cell counts, indicating no overt systemic inflammatory response due to vaccination.
  • Antibody response in controls: Horses that were not vaccinated showed no significant change in TBEV-specific IgG, IgM, or neutralising antibody levels over time.
  • Antibody response in vaccinated horses:
    • IgG antibodies: A significant increase occurred after the second vaccine dose, demonstrating an enhanced adaptive immune response.
    • Neutralising antibodies: There was a significant rise in functional antibodies capable of neutralising TBEV following the second vaccination.
    • IgM antibodies: No significant increase overall; only one horse showed a transient rise above reference levels at day 10, indicating limited initial or primary immune activation.
  • Antibody duration: The study notes that IgG and neutralising antibody levels declined within one year, suggesting that immunity might be transient.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The human inactivated TBEV vaccine was safe and did not cause adverse clinical or inflammatory effects in the horses.
  • Vaccination elicited a measurable increase in IgG and virus-neutralising antibodies, demonstrating that horses’ immune systems respond to the human vaccine.
  • The low and infrequent IgM response suggests that the vaccine primarily boosts memory or existing immunity but induces only mild primary immune activation, especially in previously naive horses.
  • The decline of antibody levels within one year raises concerns about the duration of protection and whether the human vaccine provides lasting immunity in horses.
  • The absence of significant inflammatory changes and limited antibody response intensity means that it is still uncertain whether vaccination with the human vaccine confers effective protective immunity against TBEV in horses.
  • Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of such vaccination and to potentially develop vaccines specifically optimized for equine use.

Cite This Article

APA
Kälin D, Becsek A, Stürmer H, Bachofen C, Siegrist D, Jonsdottir HR, Schoster A. (2024). Immune Response after Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) in Horses. Vaccines (Basel), 12(9), 1074. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12091074

Publication

Vaccines
ISSN: 2076-393X
NlmUniqueID: 101629355
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 9
PII: 1074

Researcher Affiliations

Kälin, Dana
  • Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Becsek, Angela
  • Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Equine Internal Medicine, University Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Stürmer, Helen
  • Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
Bachofen, Claudia
  • Institute for Virology and Immunology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Siegrist, Denise
  • Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, 3177 Spiez, Switzerland.
Jonsdottir, Hulda R
  • Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, 3177 Spiez, Switzerland.
  • Department of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergology, Inselspital University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Schoster, Angelika
  • Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Equine Clinic, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.

Grant Funding

  • 2020-07 / Stiftung Pro Pferd, Switzerland

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Tolnai CH, Forgách P, Marosi A, Fehér O, Paszerbovics B, Tenk M, Wagenhoffer Z, Kutasi O. Long-Term Humoral Immune Response After West Nile Virus Convalescence in Horses in a Geographic Area of Multiple Orthoflavivirus Co-Circulation.. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):e70176.
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