What is equine influenza?
There’s currently only one subtype of the influenza virus circulating in horses – H3N8. It first emerged in South America in the early 1960s and has since spread almost worldwide. Some countries have remained mostly free of the virus, but it’s endemic (i.e. constantly present) in Europe and America, despite the availability of vaccines.
Equine influenza causes disease very similar to that experienced by people who have flu (i.e. fever and a cough). However, it can be more severe, even fatal, and the disruption caused to competitions when outbreaks occur can be very costly.
Our research and its impact
We have a long record of research into equine influenza A virus (equine IAV) and we continue to collaborate internationally in the surveillance and management of the virus, with the aim of controlling and ultimately preventing outbreaks. Olaolu Tosin Olufemi, who is supported by a Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for Research Excellence (International), is conducting serosurveillance studies of equine IAV in Nigeria. The country was hit by a large equine influenza epidemic in 2019.
Our previous studies of antigenic and genetic evolution – and their impact on vaccine effectiveness – led to the establishment of a strain selection process for equine IAV vaccines.
With mathematical modellers, we’ve developed models predicting the likelihood of vaccine breakdown and the occurrence of outbreaks. We’ve also recently conducted a questionnaire exploring horse owner attitudes to EIV vaccination.
Our ability to measure virus-neutralising antibodies is limited because the virus doesn’t cause cell damage to provide a readout. To tackle this, we’re working with the Viral Pseudotype Unit at the University of Kent, developing pseudotyped viruses that display the surface protein(s) of EIV and contain a reporter gene, which provides a sensitive readout in neutralisation assays.
Hope Leverett (a BBSRC DTP PhD student) recently embarked on research to investigate the factors that led to equine IAV ‘jumping hosts’ to dogs.