Association between inflammatory airway disease of horses and exposure to respiratory viruses: a case control study.
Abstract: Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses, similar to asthma in humans, is a common cause of chronic poor respiratory health and exercise intolerance due to airway inflammation and exaggerated airway constrictive responses. Human rhinovirus is an important trigger for the development of asthma; a similar role for viral respiratory disease in equine IAD has not been established yet. Methods: In a case-control study, horses with IAD (n = 24) were compared to control animals from comparable stabling environments (n = 14). Horses were classified using pulmonary function testing and bronchoalveolar lavage. PCR for equine rhinitis virus A and B (ERAV, ERBV), influenza virus (EIV), and herpesviruses 2, 4, and 5 (EHV-2, EHV-4, EHV-5) was performed on nasal swab, buffy coat from whole blood, and cells from BAL fluid (BALF), and serology were performed. Categorical variables were compared between IAD and control using Fisher's exact test; continuous variables were compared with an independent t-test. For all analyses, a value of P <0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was a significant association between diagnosis of IAD and history of cough (P = 0.001) and exercise intolerance (P = 0.003) but not between nasal discharge and IAD. Horses with IAD were significantly more likely to have a positive titer to ERAV (68 %) vs. control horses (32 %). Horses with IAD had higher log-transformed titers to ERAV than did controls (2.28 ± 0.18 v.1.50 ± 0.25, P = 0.038). There was a significant association between nasal shedding (positive PCR) of EHV-2 and diagnosis of IAD (P = 0.002). Conclusions: IAD remains a persistent problem in the equine population and has strong similarities to the human disease, asthma, for which viral infection is an important trigger. The association between viral respiratory infection and development or exacerbation of IAD in this study suggests that viral infection may contribute to IAD susceptibility; there is, therefore, merit in further investigation into the relationship between respiratory virus exposure and development of IAD.
Publication Date: 2015-11-03 PubMed ID: 26535117PubMed Central: PMC4630835DOI: 10.1186/s40248-015-0030-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Asthma
- Case Reports
- Clinical Study
- Comparative Study
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Equine Herpesvirus
- Equine Rhinitis Virus
- Horses
- Infection
- Inflammatory Response
- Respiratory Disease
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Virus
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The study investigates the relation between inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses and exposure to certain respiratory viruses. Results show that horses with IAD are more likely to have been exposed to equine rhinitis virus A and the equine herpesvirus 2. The findings suggest that these viruses may play a role in the onset or worsening of IAD in horses.
Objective and Methodology
- The key aim of the research was to understand whether there’s a connection between inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses and exposure to specific respiratory viruses, similar to the role of rhinitis virus in human asthma.
- The researchers conducted a case-control study, comparing 24 horses with IAD to 14 control horses from similar stabling environments.
- The horses’ health was assessed through pulmonary function testing and bronchoalveolar lavage (a medical test which involves inspection and sampling of the bronchial air spaces).
- A PCR test was performed on nasal swabs, blood samples, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid to check for equine rhinitis virus A and B (ERAV and ERBV), influenza virus (EIV), and herpesviruses 2, 4, and 5 (EHV-2, EHV-4, EHV-5). Serology tests were also conducted.
Key Findings
- The study found a noteworthy correlation between diagnosis of IAD and a history of cough and exercise intolerance, but not nasal discharge.
- Horses diagnosed with IAD showed a higher likelihood of having a positive titer (antibody level in blood) to ERAV at 68%, compared to 32% in control horses.
- IAD-affected horses also demonstrated higher ERAV titers than control horses.
- A significant link was found between nasal shedding of EHV-2 (determined by positive PCR) and IAD diagnosis.
Conclusions and Implications
- According to the findings, IAD is a persistent issue within the horse population. The disease shares similarities with human asthma, especially the role of viral infection as a trigger.
- The observed association between viral respiratory infection and the onset or exacerbation of IAD in horses suggests that these viruses may contribute to IAD susceptibility.
- This study, therefore, highlights the potential merit of further investigation into the relationship between respiratory virus exposure and the development of IAD in horses. Understanding this connection could help in preventing or managing the disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Houtsma A, Bedenice D, Pusterla N, Pugliese B, Mapes S, Hoffman AM, Paxson J, Rozanski E, Mukherjee J, Wigley M, Mazan MR.
(2015).
Association between inflammatory airway disease of horses and exposure to respiratory viruses: a case control study.
Multidiscip Respir Med, 10, 33.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40248-015-0030-3 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- The College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA USA.
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