An outbreak of paresis in mares and geldings associated with equid herpesvirus 1.
Abstract: An outbreak of paresis occurred on a small isolated stud farm in July 1980. Of the 42 horses on the stud, infection was confined to a group of nine in-foal mares and their foals and eight other horses which were either housed together at night or grazed adjacent pastures. Eight mares and two geldings developed ataxia or paresis and one mare died. Equid herpesvirus 1 was isolated from 17 animals and serological studies confirmed that 24 of 26 animals sampled had experienced infection.
Publication Date: 1981-12-12 PubMed ID: 6280366
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Summary
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The study discusses an outbreak of paresis (a condition causing weakness and inability to move) amongst horses on a stud farm, linked to Equid herpesvirus 1. This incident, taking place in July 1980, affected nine in-foal mares and their foals as well as some other horses in close proximity.
Study Context and Objectives
- The research recounts a specific outbreak of paresis, a condition causing trouble in movement or weakness in horses, presumably caused by Equid Herpesvirus 1.
- The incident took place in a small isolated stud farm in July 1980, and the study aims to throw light on the details of the outbreak, the number of animals affected, and the correlation with Equid Herpesvirus 1.
Findings and Results
- Of the 42 horses located on the farm, the infection was mainly contracted by a group of nine mares carrying foals and their offspring, along with eight other horses who possibly came into contact with the infected group since they were either housed together at night or shared neighboring grazing areas.
- Eight mares and two geldings (castrated male horses) exhibited clinical signs of ataxia (loss of full control of bodily movements) or paresis (partial paralysis) and unfortunately, one mare lost its life due to the illness.
- Equid herpesvirus 1 was isolated from 17 animals which were possibly the carriers of the infection.
- Serological studies (studies of blood serum) confirmed that at least 24 of the 26 sampled animals had been exposed to the infection.
Significance and Implications
- This research underscores the contagious nature of Equid Herpesvirus 1 and its possible debilitating outcomes such as paresis.
- The findings denote the necessity of serological studies in identifying and confirming the presence of such viruses.
- Further, the study highlights the importance of segregating equids depending on their health status to prevent such outbreaks, especially in enclosed spaces like stud farms.
Cite This Article
APA
Crowhurst FA, Dickinson G, Burrows R.
(1981).
An outbreak of paresis in mares and geldings associated with equid herpesvirus 1.
Vet Rec, 109(24), 527-528.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Ataxia / etiology
- Ataxia / veterinary
- Blood / microbiology
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Female
- Herpesviridae / isolation & purification
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid / isolation & purification
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Male
- Nasopharynx / microbiology
- Paralysis / etiology
- Paralysis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Giessler KS, Samoilowa S, Soboll Hussey G, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Liesche F, Schlegel J, Fux R, Goehring LS. Viral Load and Cell Tropism During Early Latent Equid Herpesvirus 1 Infection Differ Over Time in Lymphoid and Neural Tissue Samples From Experimentally Infected Horses. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:621.
- Sutton G, Garvey M, Cullinane A, Jourdan M, Fortier C, Moreau P, Foursin M, Gryspeerdt A, Maisonnier V, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Legrand L, Paillot R, Pronost S. Molecular Surveillance of EHV-1 Strains Circulating in France during and after the Major 2009 Outbreak in Normandy Involving Respiratory Infection, Neurological Disorder, and Abortion. Viruses 2019 Oct 4;11(10).
- Holz CL, Sledge DG, Kiupel M, Nelli RK, Goehring LS, Soboll Hussey G. Histopathologic Findings Following Experimental Equine Herpesvirus 1 Infection of Horses. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:59.
- Garvey M, Lyons R, Hector RD, Walsh C, Arkins S, Cullinane A. Molecular Characterisation of Equine Herpesvirus 1 Isolates from Cases of Abortion, Respiratory and Neurological Disease in Ireland between 1990 and 2017. Pathogens 2019 Jan 15;8(1).
- Wimer CL, Schnabel CL, Perkins G, Babasyan S, Freer H, Stout AE, Rollins A, Osterrieder N, Goodman LB, Glaser A, Wagner B. The deletion of the ORF1 and ORF71 genes reduces virulence of the neuropathogenic EHV-1 strain Ab4 without compromising host immunity in horses. PLoS One 2018;13(11):e0206679.
- Schnabel CL, Wimer CL, Perkins G, Babasyan S, Freer H, Watts C, Rollins A, Osterrieder N, Wagner B. Deletion of the ORF2 gene of the neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus type 1 strain Ab4 reduces virulence while maintaining strong immunogenicity. BMC Vet Res 2018 Aug 22;14(1):245.
- Bryant NA, Wilkie GS, Russell CA, Compston L, Grafham D, Clissold L, McLay K, Medcalf L, Newton R, Davison AJ, Elton DM. Genetic diversity of equine herpesvirus 1 isolated from neurological, abortigenic and respiratory disease outbreaks. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018 Jun;65(3):817-832.
- Spiesschaert B, Osterrieder N, Azab W. Comparative analysis of glycoprotein B (gB) of equine herpesvirus type 1 and type 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) in cellular tropism and cell-to-cell transmission. Viruses 2015 Feb 3;7(2):522-42.
- Hussey GS, Goehring LS, Lunn DP, Hussey SB, Huang T, Osterrieder N, Powell C, Hand J, Holz C, Slater J. Experimental infection with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) induces chorioretinal lesions. Vet Res 2013 Dec 5;44(1):118.
- Goodman LB, Loregian A, Perkins GA, Nugent J, Buckles EL, Mercorelli B, Kydd JH, Palù G, Smith KC, Osterrieder N, Davis-Poynter N. A point mutation in a herpesvirus polymerase determines neuropathogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2007 Nov;3(11):e160.
- Blythe LL, Mattson DE, Lassen ED, Craig AM. Antibodies against equine herpesvirus 1 in the cerebrospinal fluid in the horse. Can Vet J 1985 Jul;26(7):218-20.
- Nugent J, Birch-Machin I, Smith KC, Mumford JA, Swann Z, Newton JR, Bowden RJ, Allen GP, Davis-Poynter N. Analysis of equid herpesvirus 1 strain variation reveals a point mutation of the DNA polymerase strongly associated with neuropathogenic versus nonneuropathogenic disease outbreaks. J Virol 2006 Apr;80(8):4047-60.
- Gupta AK, Kaur D, Rattan B, Yadav MP. Molecular variability in different Indian isolates of equine herpesvirus-1. Vet Res Commun 2005 Nov;29(8):721-34.
- Allen G, Yeargan M, Costa LR, Cross R. Major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses in horses infected with equine herpesvirus 1. J Virol 1995 Jan;69(1):606-12.
- Chowdhury SI, Kubin G, Ludwig H. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) induced abortions and paralysis in a Lipizzaner stud: a contribution to the classification of equine herpesviruses. Arch Virol 1986;90(3-4):273-88.
- Giessler KS, Goehring LS, Jacob SI, Davis A, Esser MM, Lee Y, Zarski LM, Weber PSD, Hussey GS. Impact of the host immune response on the development of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy in horses. J Gen Virol 2024 May;105(5).
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