Canine influenza virus and related compositions and methods of use

Abstract

The present invention provides an isolated canine influenza virus of subtype H3N8 comprising an HA having SEQ ID NO: 4 or an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, with the proviso that the amino acids at positions 94 and 233 are identical to SEQ ID NO: 4; a composition comprising attenuated or inactivated virus; isolated or purified HA, NM, NP, M1, NS1, PA, PB1, and PB2 proteins and fragments thereof and compositions comprising same or nucleic acids, optionally as part of a vector, encoding same; and a method of inducing an immune response to canine influenza virus in an animal comprising administering to the animal an aforementioned composition.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An isolated or purified HA, which (i) has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or (ii) is derived from an influenza virus and which has an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is identical to that of SEQ ID NO: 4 at amino acid positions 94 and 233. 
     
     
       2. A composition comprising the isolated or purified HA of  claim 1  in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       3. A method of inducing an immune response to canine influenza virus in an animal, which method comprises administering to the animal the composition of  claim 2 , whereupon an immune response to canine influenza virus is induced in the animal. 
     
     
       4. An isolated or purified nucleic acid encoding the HA of  claim 1 , optionally as part of a vector. 
     
     
       5. The isolated or purified nucleic acid of  claim 4 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the HA comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. 
     
     
       6. A composition comprising the isolated or purified nucleic acid of  claim 4 , which expresses HA in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal, and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       7. An isolated or purified HA peptide comprising a contiguous nine amino acid fragment of SEQ ID NO: 4, or a contiguous nine amino acid fragment of an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, that either includes the Leu at position 94 of SEQ ID NO: 4 or the Glu at position 233 of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
       8. A composition comprising the isolated or purified HA peptide of  claim 7  in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       9. A method of inducing an immune response to canine influenza virus in an animal, which method comprises administering to the animal the composition of  claim 8 , whereupon an immune response to canine influenza virus is induced in the animal. 
     
     
       10. An isolated or purified nucleic acid encoding the HA peptide of  claim 7 , optionally as part of a vector. 
     
     
       11. A composition comprising the isolated or purified nucleic acid of  claim 10 , which expresses the HA peptide in an amount sufficient to induce an immune response in an animal, and a biologically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       12. A method of inducing an immune response to canine influenza virus in a canid animal suffering from infection by canine influenza virus, said method comprising administering to said canid animal a composition comprising an isolated canine influenza virus of subtype H3N8 and a biologically acceptable carrier, wherein the isolated H3N8 canine influenza virus is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection as Patent Deposit No. PTA-7694.  
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12, wherein the canid animal is a dog.  
     
     
       14. The method of claim 12, wherein the isolated H3N8 canine influenza virus is inactivated.  
     
     
       15. The method of claim 12, wherein the isolated H3N8 canine influenza virus is administered in an amount of 10 3  to 10 6  pfu per dose.  
     
     
       16. The method of claim 12, wherein the composition is formulated as a controlled-release composition.