Vaccines against equine influenza

Equine influenza is a highly infectious disease that can rapidly spread and induce high morbidity in susceptible horse populations (K.P. Yurov, 2009; S.P. Waghmare et al., 2010). Equine influenza is caused by RNA viruses are belonged to the genus Influenzavirus A of the family Orthomyxoviridae (A.D. Zaberezhnyi et al., 2017). Two different equine influenza virus (EIV) subtypes have been recognized based on antigenic properties of the envelope glycoproteins (HA and NA), the H7N7 subtype (equi-1) and the H3N8. The H7N7 subtype was first isolated in Czechoslovakia in 1956 (prototype strain: A/eq/Prague/1/56). The last confirmed outbreak occurred in 1979 in Italy. The H3N8 subtype of EIV is still circulating in the most countries of the world and has caused outbreaks of disease US and Europe (R. Paillot, 2014; B. Cowled et al., 2009; C.O. Perglione et al., 2016; A.I. Kydyrmanov et al., 200;). Vaccination is one of the most effective tools, alongside isolation, movement restriction and basic biosecurity measures, to prevent EIV infection or to limit its consequences (S...