Serologic responses of pregnant thoroughbred mares to vaccination with an inactivated equine herpesvirus 1 vaccine.

This research evaluates the effectiveness and safety of an inactivated equine herpesvirus 1 vaccine used on pregnant Thoroughbred mares.

Objective of the Study

• The study was conducted to assess the immunogenic potency and safety of a chemically inactivated equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) vaccine. The vaccine’s efficiency was determined by examining the serum-neutralizing and complement-fixation antibody responses in vaccinated pregnant Thoroughbred mares.

Study Design

• The population used for this study comprised 321 pregnant Thoroughbred mares from 7 different farms- three in Normandy, France; one in Kildare, Ireland; and three in central Kentucky.
• The immunity levels of these mares were compared to those of previously vaccinated pregnant mares that had been determined to be immune to abortigenic infection (virus-induced abortion) under controlled conditions.

Findings of the Study

• According to the study, the vaccinated mares showed an antibody response pattern that was both qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those mares that had previously been considered immune to abortigenic infection after vaccination.
• The findings suggested that the vaccine is efficiently capable of triggering a potent immune response in the vaccinated mares.

Safety of the Vaccine

• The safety of the EHV-1 vaccine was established by the occurrence of only two local untoward reactions out of 941 IM (intramuscular) injections administered to the mares.

Conclusion

• The study concludes the inactivated equine herpesvirus 1 vaccine is safe and effective in stimulating an immune response in pregnant Thoroughbred mares, decreasing the risk of virus-induced abortion.