• Vaccine Ontology ID: VO_0004167
• Type: DNA vaccine
• Status: Research
• Antigen: Equine influenza virus H3N8 hemagglutinin HA
• HA gene engineering:
  • Type: DNA vaccine construction
  • Description: The HA gene of Eq/KY was subcloned into the WRG eukaryotic expression plasmid (generously provided by Agracetus, Inc., Madison, WI) containing the immediate early promoter and intron A of human cytomegalovirus. The plasmid DNA vaccine construct was designated pWRGHA, and was prepared for PowderJect-XR gene gun administration by anion-exchange resin chromatography (Qiagen Inc., Chatsworth, CA) and coated onto 2.5-μm gold beads at a concentration of 1.0 μg DNA/mg gold beads (Lunn et al., 1999).
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Vector: pWRG (Lunn et al., 1999)

Horse Response

• Vaccination Protocol: Three experimental pony groups were established with four ponies in each group. The two vaccinated groups include ponies which received pWRGHA vaccination at skin sites only, and a second group in which pWRGHA vaccination was administered to both skin and mucosal sites. The third group was a control group of unvaccinated ponies which was introduced to the experiment 20 days prior to challenge infection (Lunn et al., 1999).
• Challenge Protocol: The challenge infection was administered by first sedating each pony by intravenous administration of 0.5 mg/kg xylazine, after which ponies were inoculated with 10^8.5 EID50 of Eq/KY virus suspended in 2 ml of phosphate buffered saline by intranasal instillation (with a 16 gauge polyurethane catheter) into the ventral meatus of the left nostril.
• Efficacy: Skin and mucosal vaccination of ponies with a DNA vaccine expressing the HA protein in Equine influenza virus H3N8 provided complete protection from clinical signs of infection with ponies subjected to a challenge infection of Equine influenza virus, while skin vaccination provided partial protection. This DNA vaccination also provided partial protection from viral shedding (Lunn et al., 1999).