Communications

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
An antigenic relationship between the equine and human types of A2 influenza virus has been well documented. Experimental infection of man with A/Equi-2 influenza virus (1, 2) or immunization by inactivated vaccine (3, 4) was followed by serum hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and also neutralizing antibody responses to human strains of A2 virus. In contrast, administration of human type A2 influenza virus to volunteers did not result in significant increases in antibody titer to equine virus (2–4). These findings were based on serologic tests with strains of type A2 virus that were prevalent in human populations between 1957 and 1966. Recently, a major new variant of human type A2 virus has appeared in outbreaks of influenza originating in the Far East. In the present study, the antigenic relationship between this new strain and equine influenza virus was assessed by comparing antibody responses to both agents in serum specimens obtained from human beings infected either with the equine virus or the new human variant.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: