Immunity to influenza in ferrets. VII. Effect of previous infection with heterotypic and heterologous influenza viruses on the response of ferrets to inactivated influenza virus vaccines.

Normal ferrets did not produce serum antibody following immunization with 200 i.u. of inactivated A/Hong Kong/68 influenza virus vaccine and were found to be susceptible to subsequent challenge infection with A/Hong Kong/68 virus. High titres of virus were recovered from nasal washings collected 3 days after infection, serum antibody was produced, increased nasal protein was detected and HI antibody was detected in nasal washings. Ferrets infected with influenza virus A/PR/8/34 7 weeks before immunization with inactivated A/HK/68 virus did, however, produce serum HI antibody to A/HK/68 virus. This antibody conferred partial immunity to challenge infection with A/HK/68 virus, as shown by decreased titres of virus in nasal washings and reduced levels of nasal protein. Previous infection of ferrets with influenza virus B/Ann Arbor/66 did not result in the production of serum antibody to A/HK/68 virus following immunization with A/HK/68 vaccine and the animals were completely susceptible to subsequent challenge infection with A/HK/68 virus. Differences in the amount of nasal protein and nasal antibody produced after A/HK/68 infection were also found in ferrets previously infected with either A/PR/8/34 or B/AA/66 virus, compared with normal ferrets.