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Establishing an acceptability threshold for equine influenza vaccines
1Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK.
Developments in Biological Standardization
|January 1, 1992
Summary
New methods for measuring equine influenza vaccine potency and antibody responses, alongside improved challenge models, now allow for better identification of protective antigenic content. Nebulised virus aerosol challenge is a realistic assessment method.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Original methods for equine influenza vaccine potency assessment were unreliable.
- Lack of a suitable challenge model in horses hindered progress.
- Measuring haemagglutinin (HA) content and antibody responses was challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address shortcomings in equine influenza vaccine assessment.
- To establish reliable methods for measuring vaccine potency and antibody responses.
- To validate a realistic challenge system for equine influenza vaccines.
Main Methods:
- Development of reliable assays for measuring haemagglutinin (HA) content.
- Establishment of challenge systems in target equine species.
- Comparison of experimental vaccine performance with field data.
Main Results:
- Reliable methods for measuring HA content and antibody responses are now available.
- Experimental challenge systems identified antibody levels correlated with protection.
- Nebulised virus aerosol challenge demonstrated realistic assessment of vaccine efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Improved methods and challenge systems enhance equine influenza vaccine evaluation.
- Nebulised virus aerosol challenge is a practical and effective method for assessing vaccine efficacy.
- This progress aids in identifying optimal antigenic content for protective equine influenza vaccines.