Realising the potential of a safe and protective universal vaccine for African horse sickness disease

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African horse sickness is a devastating viral disease of horses with a ~90% mortality rate. AHSV and Bluetongue Virus, BTV, that affects livestock, are closely related and spread by the same Culicoides vectors, prevalent in UK & Europe. Currently available vaccines against AHSV are neither safe nor effective and a safe vaccine that protects against all AHSV serotypes is desirable. Enabled by BBSRC funding we have designed novel vaccine candidates for all nine AHSV serotypes which are strictly replication-deficient in normal cells or animal hosts and demonstrated their suitability in ponies. To investigate their potential for commercialisation, we will investigate the duration of protection in ponies; develop a unique universal vaccine for all serotypes; define the immune response and those that are responsible for cross-protection; and develop a DIVA vaccine strain. Our data will support a broadly protective vaccine with easy production and good shelf life for protection against AHSV