Recombinant equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) vaccine protects pigs against challenge with influenza A(H1N1)pmd09

Swine influenza virus (SIV) is not only an important respiratory pathogen in pigs but also a threat to human health. The pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus likely originated in swine through reassortment between a North American triple reassortant and Eurasian avian-like SIV. The North American triple reassortant virus harbors genes from avian, human and swine influenza viruses. An effective vaccine may protect the pork industry from economic losses and curb the development of new virus variants that may threaten public health. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of a recombinant equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) vaccine (rH_H1) expressing the hemagglutinin H1 of A(H1N1)pdm09 in the natural host. Our data shows that the engineered rH_H1 vaccine induces influenza virus-specific antibody responses in pigs and is able to protect at least partially against challenge infection: no clinical signs of disease were detected and virus replication was reduced as evidenced by decreased nasal virus shedding and faster virus clearance. Taken together, our results indicate that recombinant EHV-1 encoding H1 of A(H1N1)pdm09 may be a promising alternative for protection of pigs against infection with A(H1N1)pdm09 or other influenza viruses.