Abortion due to equine herpesvirus in southern Brazil.

The research paper discusses an outbreak of abortion in horses caused by equine herpesvirus (EHV) in Southern Brazil. Identified in 5 pregnant mares from a group of 22, the study used various techniques to diagnose the virus and conclude that it was indeed the cause of the spontaneous abortions.

Investigation of Outbreak

• The researchers reported on an outbreak of spontaneous abortion in a herd of Thoroughbred mares from southern Brazil. The incident occurred between 9 and 11 months of gestation in 5 of the 22 mares present in the herd.
• The authors isolated the equine herpesvirus from tissue extracts of the liver, spleen and thymus of a 9-month-old fetus. Notably, none of the virus was found in the lung tissue.

Identification of Virus

• The virus was initially grown in a culture of Rabbit Kidney (RK13) cells before being identified through multiple methods.
• They used electron microscopy and could observe virus particles present in the nucleus of infected cells. This provided visual evidence of the presence of the virus and its pattern of infection.
• Additionally, the researchers utilized a fluorescent antibody technique. This process involves the use of polyclonal antibodies (which are able to bind to multiple antigens) against the entirety of the virus. The antibodies, once bound to the antigens present on the virus, would fluoresce under specific light conditions, thus visually confirming the presence of the virus.

Conclusion of Research

• Based on evidence from anamnesis (the process of questioning a patient about the history of their condition), necropsy (the post-mortem examination of an animal), histopathology studies (the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease), bacteriology (the study of bacteria), and virology (the study of viruses), the authors concluded that the equine herpesvirus was indeed the cause of the abortions in the mares.
• Given the significant implications of such a virus for horse breeders and the wider equine industry, this research emphasizes the need for effective diagnostic measures and further study to prevent future outbreaks.