INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Using
Antibody Titers
to Determine DOI in Vaccine-Averse Cases B y
P a u l
B a s i l i o
Shutterstock/Roman Zaiets
A well-managed horse receives a lot of antigens.
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Between tetanus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis (EEE/WEE), rabies, West Nile virus, influenza, equine herpes virus-1 (EHV-1) and EHV4, and whatever risk- and region-based vaccines is indicated, the number of vaccine antigens that a horse is exposed to can be even greater than the number dogs receive. While AAEP guidelines and vaccine data sheets must be followed to ensure that a horse is properly vaccinated, an increasing number of owners express
Issue 6/2020 | ModernEquineVet.com
concern at the frequency and number of vaccines their horses receive, particularly with horses that have experienced an adverse reaction in the past. The decision to use a particular vaccine is based on an assessment of risk versus benefit, but if a client questions the necessity of a particular vaccine, measuring antibody titers might provide useful information on which to base the decision to either go ahead and vaccinate now or delay until a later date, according to W. David Wilson, BVMS, MS, Hon DACVIM, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of
