EHV-1 causes respiratory, reproductive and neurological problems, resulting in financial losses in the horse industry. In Belgium, only inactivated vaccines are available, which provide only partial protection. An intranasal vaccination is preferable, because an
EHV-1 infection provides full protection for 6 months. Two new intranasal, attenuated EHV-1 viruses were developed in the promoter's laboratory. In the project, the vaccine candidates will be tested in vitro (replication kinetics in nasal mucosa explants, primary respiratory epithelial cells and monocytes/T lymphocytes; testing for the absence of virus transmission from infected leukocytes to endothelial cells) and in vivo (safety and efficacy; intranasal vaccination with the most suitable candidate vaccine and challenge 4 weeks later). Next, a foreign gene (HA from equine influenza virus) will be introduced into the candidate vaccine and the vector function will be tested in vitro and in vivo.
For the latter, safety and immunogenicity will be tested (induction of neutralising antibodies against EHV-1 and EIV).