RESPONSE OF PONIES TO ADJUVANTED EHV-1 WHOLE VIRUS-VACCINE AND CHALLENGE WITH VIRUS OF THE HOMOLOGOUS STRAIN

Five yearling ponies were vaccinated with inactivated Equid herpesviru s type 1 (EHV-1) in Freund's complete adjuvant as a double emulsion an d revaccinated 6 weeks later with EHV-1 in Freund's incomplete adjuvan t. These ponies and three age-matched controls were challenged intra-n asally after a further 6 weeks with homologuous live virus and monitor ed clinically, biologically and serologically. After challenge, clinic al signs were mild in both groups. No cell-associated viraemias were d etected in vaccinated ponies. Vaccination induced high levels of compl ement-fixing (CF) and virus-neutralizing (VN) antibody, and elicited a response to all major viral glycoproteins as shown by western blot an alysis.