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Vaccines2018; 6(3); 38; doi: 10.3390/vaccines6030038

The Immunity Gap Challenge: Protection against a Recent Florida Clade 2 Equine Influenza Strain.

Abstract: Vaccination is one of the most effective tools for limiting the impact of equine influenza (EI). The humoral immunity established following a primary vaccination course can decrease significantly between the second (V2) and third immunisations (V3), leaving some horses insufficiently protected for several weeks. This so-called "immunity gap" poses a challenge to all EI vaccines. During this period, the EI infection of vaccinated animals may be followed by marked clinical signs and virus shedding. However, several EI vaccines have been shown to stimulate equine influenza virus (EIV)-specific cell-mediated immunity, which is likely to play a role in protection against EIV infection and/or mitigate the clinical and virological signs of EI. Reducing the interval between V2 and V3 has been shown to be counterproductive to longer-term immunity. Further research is needed to define and address the "immunity gap" in horses. This study aimed to measure the level of protection induced by a whole inactivated, ISCOMatrix adjuvanted, EI and tetanus vaccine (Equilis Prequenza-Te) when challenged during the immunity gap (i.e., immediately before the recommended boost immunisation, more than 5 months after V2) using infection with a recent heterologous Florida Clade 2 (FC2) equine influenza virus (EIV) strain. This vaccine was tested in a Welsh mountain pony model. A group of seven ponies was vaccinated twice, 4 weeks apart. The protective antibody response was measured and ponies were challenged, along with 5 unvaccinated control ponies, by experimental infection with the FC2 A/eq/Northamptonshire/1/13 EIV strain, 158 days (around 5.2 months) after V2 and their clinical signs and virus shedding were monitored. EI serology was measured by single radial haemolysis (SRH) and haemagglutination inhibition (HI). Clinical signs and virus shedding (measured by qRT-PCR and hen's egg titration) were compared with controls. All vaccinates had detectable low SRH antibody titres and most had detectable, low HI titres. Significant clinical and virological protection was observed in vaccinates ( < 0.05), supporting the good performance of this vaccine against a recent EIV strain. In this study, the impact of the immunity gap in ponies was limited after primary vaccination with this whole inactivated, ISCOMatrix adjuvanted EI and tetanus vaccine (Equilis Prequenza-Te) when infected several months after V2 with a recent FC2 strain, which is representative of EIV circulating in the EU.
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Publication Date: 2018-07-02 PubMed ID: 30004410PubMed Central: PMC6161116DOI: 10.3390/vaccines6030038Google 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.

The research article focuses on the challenge of an ‘immunity gap’ in horses vaccinated against equine influenza (EI), and how a specific vaccine performs when horses are infected during this immunity gap. The study evaluates the protection level of a specific vaccine (Equilis Prequenza-Te) against an equine influenza virus strain, when administered more than 5 months after a second vaccination (during the immunity gap).

Background

  • The study revolves around a key issue faced in mitigating equine influenza (EI), known as the ‘immunity gap.’ This is a period after the second vaccination when established immunity tends to decrease significantly, causing some horses to lose sufficient protection for several weeks.
  • This immunity gap is a challenge for all EI vaccines, as horses can present severe clinical symptoms and virus shedding during this period.
  • The research notes that while many EI vaccines stoke EI-specific cell-mediated immunity, there is a need for more research to address this immunity gap effectively.

Study Aim and Methodology

  • The research aimed to measure the level of protection provided by the Equilis Prequenza-Te vaccine (which is a whole inactivated, ISCOMatrix adjuvanted EI, and tetanus vaccine) when used during the immunity gap.
  • The vaccine was tested on a group of seven Welsh mountain ponies, where they were vaccinated twice, 4 weeks apart.
  • The focus is on a specific strain of EI, known as Florida Clade 2 (FC2) equine influenza virus (EIV), which is representative of EIVs circulating in the European Union.
  • The immunity level was measured, and the ponies, along with five unvaccinated control ponies, were infected with the FC2 EIV strain after 158 days (approximately 5.2 months) and monitored for clinical signs and virus shedding.

Results

  • The study finds that all vaccinated ponies had detectable, albeit low, antibody titres (a measure of antibodies in the blood).
  • Comparison with the unvaccinated controls showed that the vaccinated ponies had a significantly lesser incidence of clinical signs and virus shedding, signifying a high effectiveness of the vaccine against the EIV strain.
  • The research concludes that the impact of the immunity gap was limited after primary vaccination with the Equilis Prequenza-Te, even when the ponies were infected several months after the second vaccination with the recent FC2 strain.

Conclusion

  • The research demonstrated the ability of the Equilis Prequenza-Te vaccine to effectively protect horses against EI during the immunity gap, diminishing the previously conceived challenge.
  • These findings underscore the vaccine’s performance against recent EIV strains and suggest its viability as a mitigating tool in controlling EI outbreaks among horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Paillot R, Garrett D, Lopez-Alvarez MR, Birand I, Montesso F, Horspool L. (2018). The Immunity Gap Challenge: Protection against a Recent Florida Clade 2 Equine Influenza Strain. Vaccines (Basel), 6(3), 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines6030038

Publication

Vaccines
ISSN: 2076-393X
NlmUniqueID: 101629355
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 6
Issue: 3
PII: 38

Researcher Affiliations

Paillot, Romain
  • Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. romain.paillot@laboratoire-labeo.fr.
  • LABÉO Frank Duncombe, 14280 Saint-Contest, France. romain.paillot@laboratoire-labeo.fr.
  • Laboratoire BioTARGen, Université de Caen Normandie, 14280 Saint-Contest, France. romain.paillot@laboratoire-labeo.fr.
Garrett, Dion
  • Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. diongarrett013@gmail.com.
Lopez-Alvarez, Maria R
  • Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. MARIA.LOPEZ@aht.org.uk.
Birand, Ihlan
  • Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. ilhanbirand@hotmail.com.
Montesso, Fernando
  • Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket CB8 7UU, UK. fmontesso66@gmail.com.
Horspool, Linda
  • MSD Animal Health, 5830 AA Boxmeer, The Netherlands. linda.horspool@merck.com.

Conflict of Interest Statement

R.P., D.G., M.R.L.-A., I.B. and F.M. declare no conflict of interest. L.H. is employed by the study sponsor (MSD Animal Health). The founding sponsor and L.H. were involved in the design of the study but were not involved in the collection, analyses or interpretation of data. R.P. and L.H. were involved in the decision to publish the results. The manuscript was reviewed by the sponsor prior to submission.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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