Project

New intranasal marker vector vaccine for protection of horses against equine herpesvirus 1 related and other (re)emerging viral diseases.

Acronym
EHV-vector
Code
F2023/IOF-Advanced/049
Duration
20 December 2023 → 31 December 2025
Funding
Regional and community funding: Industrial Research Fund
Research disciplines
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Veterinary immunology
Keywords
Equine herpesvirus 1 intranasal attenuated marker vaccine horses
 
Project description

This project aims to develop a live attenuated vaccine to protect horses against equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1)-associated diseases by intranasal administration. This vaccine will protect the upper respiratory tract (primary replication site of EHV-1) of horses by the activation of a local and general immunity. The proposed vaccine strain will have a plugin spot for the introduction of other foreign (viral) genes, which allows to use this strain as a vector to vaccinate against other (viral) pathogens. Moreover, because a foreign gene replaces an EHV-1 gene, this approach allows to differentiate formerly vaccinated and infected horses (marker vaccine; DIVA principle).