Method of identification of equine herpes virus type 1 causing neurological disease, method of producing a vaccine against neurological disease caused by equine herpes virus type 1, and vaccine against neurological disease caused by equine herpes virus type 1

Abstract

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) causes abortion and respiratory infection in horses. Only certain strains of EHV-1 cause encephalitis. Vaccination of horses with live attenuated or inactivated vaccines against EHV-1 is commonly practiced using commercial vaccine products. None of those vaccines have been tested for protection of horses against neurologic manifestation caused by EHV-1. Clinical evidence indicates that horses vaccinated with the commercial vaccines were protected against the respiratory diseases caused by EHV-1. However, the vaccinated horses were not protected against neurological disease. In this invention, we describe the development of a new inactivated EHV-1 vaccine. The new vaccine will protect vaccinated horses against neurological disease as well as respiratory disease and abortion caused by EHV-1. The vaccine will use a newly isolated Findlay strain of EHV-1 as the master seed virus. This virus was extremely virulent and caused high morbidity (>80%) in a well-vaccinated horse population. This virus was highly neurotropic as over 30% of the sick animals developed neurologic disease. The vaccine is formatted with the Findlay strain of EHV-1 and alum as adjuvant.

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