DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) Vaccines and Strategies

In veterinary medicine, vaccination is one of the most effective techniques for control and prevention of diseases. When other methods fail in control of animal diseases, different vaccines and strategies are developed. DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) vaccines lacking one or more antigenic epitope(s)/ protein(s) in the prevailing field strain and the accompanying diagnostic tests are effective in eradication and control of diseases. While currently used vaccines can not distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals, DIVA vaccines can be very useful for the purpose. Serological tests, such as ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay), used together with DIVA vaccines, can be used to determine which animals are infected and which are vaccinated. DIVA vaccines and strategies for some animal diseases have been developed and continue to be developed. In this review, it is aimed to explain the general characteristics, importance, production, advantages of DIVA vaccines and strategies and their use in various animal diseases.