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Clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemical, and virologic findings of eastern equine encephalomyelitis in two horses.
Abstract: Natural eastern equine encephalitis alphavirus (EEEV) infection was diagnosed in two adult horses with anorexia and colic, changes in sensorium, hyperexcitability, and terminal severe depression. Myocardium, tunica muscularis of stomach, intestine, urinary bladder, and spleen capsule had coagulative necrosis and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate. Central nervous system (CNS) lesions were diffuse polioencephalomyelitis with leptomeningitis characterized by perivascular T lymphocyte cuffing, marked gliosis, neuronophagia, and multifocal microabscesses. Lesions were more prominent within cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, and mesencephalon. EEEV was identified in the cytoplasm of cardiac myocytes and smooth muscle cells of spleen, stomach, intestine, urinary bladder, blood vessels, and dendritic cells. In the CNS, EEEV-positive cells included neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and neutrophils. EEEV was isolated from the CNS of both horses. The detailed description of the encephalic and spinal EEEV localization and the findings of EEEV in extraneural tissues contribute to the understanding of this important multisystemic zoonotic disease.
Publication Date: 2001-07-27 PubMed ID: 11467481DOI: 10.1354/vp.38-4-451Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Case Reports
- Journal Article
- Alphavirus
- Anorexia
- Blood Vessels
- Central Nervous System
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Pathology
- Dendritic Cells
- Diagnosis
- Disease Diagnosis
- Encephalomyelitis
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Immunohistochemistry
- Infectious Disease
- Inflammation
- Necrosis
- Neurological Diseases
- Public Health
- Veterinary Medicine
- Virology
- Zoonotic Diseases
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 is about the study of a virus called Eastern Equine Encephalitis Alphavirus (EEEV) in two adult horses which showed symptoms such as loss of appetite, colic, changes in awareness, hyperexcitability, and extreme depression before death. A detailed account was provided about where in the body of the horses the EEEV was found along with the consequent tissue damage it caused.
Objective of the study
The research was focused on diagnosing the Eastern Equine Encephalitis Alphavirus (EEEV) in two adult horses. Symptoms like anorexia, colic, changes in sensorium, hyperexcitability, and terminal severe depression led the researchers to suspect EEEV infection.
Documentation of the findings
- The researchers conducted post-mortem examinations and noted coagulative necrosis (cell death) and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate (immune cells around the blood vessels) in various organs such as the myocardium (heart muscle), stomach, intestines, urinary bladder, and spleen.
- Specific observations were made on central nervous system lesions, considering the virus primarily targets the nervous system. The presence of diffuse polioencephalomyelitis with leptomeningitis was a clear sign of EEEV infection.
- The virus was identified within cells of various tissues, including the heart, stomach, intestines, blood vessels, urinary bladder, kidneys and dendritic cells, an important group of immune cells.
Involvement of the Central Nervous System (CNS)
- In the central nervous system, the EEEV-positive cells included neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and neutrophils, reinforcing the assumption of the virus targeting CNS.
- In addition to the physical symptoms observed, the presence of EEEV identified in these cells within the CNS further confirmed infection.
- The EEEV strain was successfully isolated from the central nervous system of both horses, which will aid future research and treatment methods.
Overall importance of the study
- This research enriches our understanding of EEEV, an important zoonotic disease – diseases that are transferred from animals to humans.
- The detailed account of the precise location of EEEV in the body and the associated tissue damage contributes significantly to ongoing efforts to combat such diseases.
Cite This Article
APA
Del Piero F, Wilkins PA, Dubovi EJ, Biolatti B, Cantile C.
(2001).
Clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemical, and virologic findings of eastern equine encephalomyelitis in two horses.
Vet Pathol, 38(4), 451-456.
https://doi.org/10.1354/vp.38-4-451 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Pathobiology, Kennett Square, USA. fdp@vet.upenn.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine / isolation & purification
- Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine / pathology
- Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine / virology
- Fatal Outcome
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Immunohistochemistry / veterinary
- Kidney / pathology
- Kidney / virology
- Male
- Myocardium / pathology
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Williams JA, Long SY, Zeng X, Kuehl K, Babka AM, Davis NM, Liu J, Trefry JC, Daye S, Facemire PR, Iversen PL, Bavari S, Pitt ML, Nasar F. Eastern equine encephalitis virus rapidly infects and disseminates in the brain and spinal cord of cynomolgus macaques following aerosol challenge. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 May;16(5):e0010081.
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- Trefry JC, Rossi FD, Accardi MV, Dorsey BL, Sprague TR, Wollen-Roberts SE, Shamblin JD, Kimmel AE, Glass PJ, Miller LJ, Burke CW, Cardile AP, Smith DR, Bavari S, Authier S, Pratt WD, Pitt ML, Nasar F. The utilization of advance telemetry to investigate critical physiological parameters including electroencephalography in cynomolgus macaques following aerosol challenge with eastern equine encephalitis virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021 Jun;15(6):e0009424.
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- Ronca SE, Smith J, Koma T, Miller MM, Yun N, Dineley KT, Paessler S. Mouse Model of Neurological Complications Resulting from Encephalitic Alphavirus Infection. Front Microbiol 2017;8:188.
- Phillips AT, Stauft CB, Aboellail TA, Toth AM, Jarvis DL, Powers AM, Olson KE. Bioluminescent imaging and histopathologic characterization of WEEV neuroinvasion in outbred CD-1 mice. PLoS One 2013;8(1):e53462.
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- Fragkoudis R, Tamberg N, Siu R, Kiiver K, Kohl A, Merits A, Fazakerley JK. Neurons and oligodendrocytes in the mouse brain differ in their ability to replicate Semliki Forest virus. J Neurovirol 2009 Jan;15(1):57-70.
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- Burnouf T, Griffiths E, Padilla A, Seddik S, Stephano MA, Gutiérrez JM. Assessment of the viral safety of antivenoms fractionated from equine plasma. Biologicals 2004 Sep;32(3):115-28.
- Countrymann K, Ruby R, Miller AD. A retrospective study of 171 cases of equine meningoencephalomyelitis in the United States, 1996-2023. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan;38(1):100-111.
- Woodson CM, Carney SK, Kehn-Hall K. Neuropathogenesis of Encephalitic Alphaviruses in Non-Human Primate and Mouse Models of Infection. Pathogens 2025 Feb 14;14(2).
- Naveed A, Eertink LG, Wang D, Li F. Lessons Learned from West Nile Virus Infection:Vaccinations in Equines and Their Implications for One Health Approaches. Viruses 2024 May 14;16(5).
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