Credit: Thinkstock The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of the concurrent use of EIV and EHV-1/ 4 vaccines in Thoroughbred racehorses on their humoral immune response to EIV.An open access article from Wiley Online Library was released titled, “Concurrent vaccination against equine influenza and equine herpes virus – a practical approach.” The conclusion from this research was, “In this study concurrent vaccination against EIV and EHV 1/4 increased the response to EIV and did not compromise the humoral immune response to EHV 1/4.”
The article noted that the laboratory work that was carried out at the Irish Equine Centre was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
SUMMARY
Background: There is a lack of information concerning concurrent administration of vaccines against equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine herpes virus 1 and 4 (EHV-1/4).
Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of the concurrent use of EIV and EHV-1/ 4 vaccines in Thoroughbred racehorses on their humoral immune response to EIV.
Methods: This study was carried out on a population of 30 horses using an inactivated whole virus EIV vaccine and an inactivated EHV-1, 4 vaccine. Horses were randomly allocated to vaccination group A or B. Horses in group A were vaccinated against EIV and EHV-1/4 two weeks apart. Horses in group B were vaccinated against EIV and EHV-1/4 on the same day. Whole blood samples were collected on the day of vaccination, two weeks and six weeks post vaccination. Antibody levels against EIV and EHV-1/4 were measured using the single radial haemolysis and serum neutralisation test respectively.
Results: The pattern of EIV antibody response post vaccination was similar for both groups. Highest EIV antibody levels were recorded two weeks post vaccination and a significant decrease in antibody level was observed four weeks later. Horses in group B demonstrated a significantly higher EIV antibody response post vaccination. Overall there was no significant difference in EHV-1/4 antibody response between the two groups post vaccination.
Conclusion: In this study concurrent vaccination against EIV and EHV 1/4 increased the
response to EIV and did not compromise the humoral immune response to EHV 1/4.
You can download the complete article from Wiley Online Library.
Authors
Sarah Gildea, Gillian Johnson, and Ann Cullinane, Virology Unit, The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Maria Jose Sanchez Higgins, Hawkfield, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Cathal Walsh, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
