whoslets

Following the recent toxic outbreak of equine herpes virus at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, a Cornell
University virologist says his preceding analysis indicates that vaccines containing weakened live viruses, called modified
breathe vaccines (MLV), come up to be more serviceable in preventing horse herpes than other more by many used vaccines.

“It’s weighty that people be versed that the MLV has been in ground throughout decades, has proven to be reasonably vault, and in — my
opinion — it should be the vaccine of choice, at least in non-fruitful animals,” said Klaus Osterrieder, associate professor
of virology in the College of Veterinary Cure-all at Cornell. The college is home to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center, the
official regulatory diagnostic laboratory appropriate for equine diseases in Trendy York imperial.

On May 18, two horses stabled at Churchill Downs showed symptoms of the neurological attitude of equine herpes and were
euthanized, leading to touch at the May 22 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course near Baltimore. In precognition of the
June 11, $1 million Belmont Stakes, the third trip the light fantastic toe of the Triple Crown, in Belmont, N.Y., the New York Racing Combine
(NYRA) on May 18 issued travel restrictions for all horses that might have been exposed to equine herpes virus, with best
attention paid to those stabled at Churchill Downs since May 1.

In some 90 percent of infected horses, equine herpes virus genus 1 (EHV-1) leads to a mild upper respiratory infection with
fever, nasal forth and fatigue in favour of a date or two. The virus can also cause expecting mares to abort, and in its severest
look it can distance to neurological disorders, disadvantage of coordination and even death. The virus is spread mainly by profound
contact between horses. Once infected, a horse carries the virus for the rest of its life in a “latent” (dormant) state. The
same symptoms from the endorse infection can be reactivated by stress and strain later in life.

Osterrieder will hand-out his restored findings on vaccine effectiveness, involving a limited study of 15 horses, at a luncheon
meeting with other veterinarians and specialists at the annual American College of Veterinary Internal Panacea Forum, June
2, in Baltimore. The luncheon will be paid for by Pfizer Inc., which provided Osterrieder with a $50,000 unrestricted grant
to conduct experimentation of his choosing. Pfizer is the only plc that makes MLVs for equine herpes virus.

Osterrieder’s preliminary study compared the effectiveness of MLV vaccines to another more widely used vaccine for equine
herpes. Owners and veterinarians have been heedful of live vaccines because of past incidences in which a previous MLV that was
incompletely weakened caused neurological infirmity symptoms after it was administered. The more greatly used type of vaccine,
called an inactivated vaccine, employs a killed virus to activate the horse’s immune response.

Osterrieder vaccinated five horses with an MLV and five with an inactivated virus; five received no vaccination. Not one of the
15 horses was pregnant. The horses were then exposed to the herpes virus.

The study found that the horses with MLV vaccinations consistently had lower fevers, no neurological disorders and less virus
in nasal fluids. One horse vaccinated with the inactivated virus and individual from the put down assemblage showed mild neurological
symptoms. All the horses, respect, have fully recovered.

Osterrieder unequivocal to announce the results of the study prior to peer-reviewed publication because of the recent virus
outbreaks. Following the outbreak at Churchill Downs, three barns and some 100 horses were quarantined. The quarantine was
fully lifted May 24, when no other horses showed signs of infection.

Eight horses housed at Churchill Downs during the outbreak were cleared to run in the Preakness. Anyway, two horses
scheduled in supporting races at the Pimlico Mill-race Course were not allowed to race due to the Churchill Downs quarantine.

Because of the outbreak, the NYRA isn’t captivating any chances. “The New York Allege Racing Association has put in a directive
requiring veterinarians to certify that horses bring into the world had no fevers for the last three weeks,” said Ed Dubovi, associate professor
of virology and director of the virology diagnostic laboratory at the Animal Constitution Diagnostic Center at Cornell. He says
that Cornell only administers testing and does not set the rules for monitoring infections.

Dubovi said that in the last four to five years, there have been more reports of the unsympathetic neurological affection associated
with equine herpes. “It appears we are seeing it with more frequency and in a larger enumerate of horses,” he said.

Previous studies on horses have build the inactivated vaccines are not very effective in lowering equine virus levels in the
blood or preventing abortions caused by the virus. “Based on new reports and our preliminary findings, multitudinous inactivated
vaccines, mainly when assumption too often, don’t appear to do much sound,” said Osterrieder.

In appendage to Pfizer, the Morris Gross Basis has set Osterrieder a two-year grant of $110,783, and the Harry M.
Zweig Souvenir Fund after Equine Research (which is supported by New York state racing revenues) has prone him two grants: one
for $131,414 and another fitted $30,000. Cornell has made a substantial investment in his laboratory light-up, allowing this and
other research to be conducted.

Contact: Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.
bpf2@cornell.edu
607-254-8093
Cornell University News Service
http://www.news broadcast.cornell.edu