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Viruses2021; 13(8); doi: 10.3390/v13081454

Clinical Course of Infection and Cross-Species Detection of Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis.

Abstract: Since its first discovery by Arnold Theiler in 1918, serum hepatitis also known as Theiler's disease has been reported worldwide, causing idiopathic acute hepatitis and liver failure in horses. Recent studies have suggested a novel parvovirus, named equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H), to be associated with Theiler's disease. Despite the severity and potential fatality of EqPV-H infection, little is known about the possibility of developing chronic infections and putative cross-species infection of equine sister species. In the present longitudinal study, we employed qPCR analysis, serology, and biochemical testing as well as pathology examination of liver biopsies and sequence analysis to investigate potential chronic EqPV-H infection in an isolated study cohort of in total 124 horses from Germany over five years (2013-2018). Importantly, our data suggest that EqPV-H viremia can become chronic in infected horses that do not show biochemical and pathological signs of liver disease. Phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood model also confirms high sequence similarity and nucleotide conservation of the multidomain nuclear phosphoprotein NS1 sequences from equine serum samples collected between 2013-2018. Moreover, by examining human, zebra, and donkey sera for the presence of EqPV-H DNA and VP1 capsid protein antibodies, we found evidence for cross-species infection in donkey, but not to human and zebra. In conclusion, this study provides proof for the occurrence of persistent EqPV-H infection in asymptomatic horses and cross-species EqPV-H detection in donkeys.
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Publication Date: 2021-07-26 PubMed ID: 34452320PubMed Central: PMC8402690DOI: 10.3390/v13081454Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 research article discusses findings from a study monitoring the presence and impact of equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H), a disease associated with acute hepatitis and liver failure in horses, over five years on a cohort of horses in Germany, as well as assessing the capacity for the disease to jump species.

Background and Study Purpose

  • The study seeks to expand understanding of Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H), a virus that has been associated with Theiler’s disease, a condition causing acute hepatitis and liver failure in horses.
  • The research aims to ascertain how this virus behaves over a long period of time, and whether it holds the potential to become chronic in horses that don’t show liver disease symptoms.
  • Additionally, the study explores the possible cross-species transmission of EqPV-H, testing donkeys, zebras, and humans for evidence of infection.

Methods

  • The research used a combination of qPCR analysis, serology, biochemical testing, liver biopsy pathology examination, and sequence analysis, providing a robust set of methods to examine the presence and impact of EqPV-H.
  • The study was longitudinal, carried over a five-year period from 2013 to 2018, on a cohort of 124 horses in Germany.
  • Phylogenetic analysis was carried out to confirm the similarity and conservation of sequences from equine serum samples collected over the study duration.

Findings

  • The findings indicated that horses infected with EqPV-H could develop a chronic infection, regardless of whether they displayed biochemical or pathological signs of liver disease. So, despite not showing outward signs of illness, these horses continued to carry and potentially spread the virus.
  • The team also found evidence of the virus in donkeys, suggesting that EqPV-H has the capacity to jump species. However, no evidence was found in humans or zebras, indicating that it does not affect all equids or regularly jump to humans.

Conclusions

  • This research provides important evidence illustrating the persistence of Equine parvovirus-hepatitis in horses, including those that are asymptomatic.
  • Additionally, it highlights the potential for the disease to be transmitted to related species (i.e., donkeys), thus emphasizing the need for continued surveillance and analytic study of this virus to protect both equine health and prevent potential future zoonosis.

Cite This Article

APA
Reinecke B, Klöhn M, Brüggemann Y, Kinast V, Todt D, Stang A, Badenhorst M, Koeppel K, Guthrie A, Groner U, Puff C, de le Roi M, Baumgärtner W, Cavalleri JV, Steinmann E. (2021). Clinical Course of Infection and Cross-Species Detection of Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis. Viruses, 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/v13081454

Publication

Viruses
ISSN: 1999-4915
NlmUniqueID: 101509722
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 8

Researcher Affiliations

Reinecke, Birthe
  • Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, a Joint Venture between Hannover Medical School and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Klöhn, Mara
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
Brüggemann, Yannick
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
Kinast, Volker
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
Todt, Daniel
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
  • European Virus Bioinformatics Center (EVBC), 07743 Jena, Germany.
Stang, Alexander
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
Badenhorst, Marcha
  • Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
Koeppel, Katja
  • Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
  • Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
Guthrie, Alan
  • Equine Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
Groner, Ursula
  • Economic Cooperative of German Veterinarians e.G. (WDT), 27318 Hoyerhagen, Germany.
Puff, Christina
  • Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
de le Roi, Madeleine
  • Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Baumgärtner, Wolfgang
  • Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Cavalleri, Jessika-M V
  • Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Steinmann, Eike
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Biopsy
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / blood
  • Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / physiopathology
  • Horse Diseases / virology
  • Horses
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver / virology
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Parvoviridae Infections / blood
  • Parvoviridae Infections / physiopathology
  • Parvoviridae Infections / veterinary
  • Parvovirus / classification
  • Parvovirus / genetics
  • Persistent Infection
  • Phylogeny
  • Viremia / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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