Project Number: 3625-32000-097-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 22, 2010
End Date: Aug 31, 2013

Objective:
Evaluate swine influenza virus strain specific antigenic epitopes that might enable development of serological assays for pandemic H1N1 surveillance in swine. Evaluate selected antigenic epitopes and genetic factors of swine influenza virus that may lead to heterologous immunity elicited by influenza vaccines to enable development of improved vaccines with broader protective immunity against novel emerging influenza strains.

Approach:
Conduct immunological investigations of influenza A virus components that lead to immune responses against specific epitopes that may enable serological surveillance for the 2009 A/H1N1 in swine and determine whether heterologous immunity against endemic swine influenza viruses interferes with serological surveillance methods. Collaborate in conducting animal studies to determine the pathogenesis and transmissibility of selected isolates of the wild-type novel A/HINI virus from animals and correlate with genetic and antigenic changes.