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Home / Equine Research Bank / Transbound Emerg Dis / Detection of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV) -1, -2, -4 and -5 in E...
Transboundary and emerging diseases2017; 64(6); 1970-1978; doi: 10.1111/tbed.12601

Detection of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV) -1, -2, -4 and -5 in Ethiopian Equids with and without Respiratory Problems and Genetic Characterization of EHV-2 and EHV-5 Strains.

Abstract: Infections with equine herpesviruses (EHVs) are widespread in equine populations worldwide. Whereas both EHV-1 and EHV-4 produce well-documented respiratory syndromes in equids, the contribution of EHV-2 and EHV-5 to disease of the respiratory tract is still enigmatic. This study describes the detection and genetic characterization of EHVs from equids with and without clinical respiratory disease. Virus-specific PCRs were used to detect EHV-1, -2, -4 and -5. From the total of 160 equids with respiratory disease, EHV-5 was detected at the highest prevalence (23.1%), followed by EHV-2 (20.0%), EHV-4 (8.1%) and EHV-1 (7.5%). Concurrent infections with EHV-2 and EHV-5 were recorded from nine (5.2%) diseased horses. Of the total of 111 clinically healthy equids, EHV-1 and EHV-4 were never detected whereas EHV-2 and EHV-5 were found in 8 (7.2%) and 18 (16.2%) horses, respectively. A significantly higher proportion of EHV-2-infected equids was observed in the respiratory disease group (32/160, 20.0%; P = 0.005) compared to those without disease (8/111; 7.2%). EHV-2-positive equids were three times more likely to display clinical signs of respiratory disease than EHV-2-negative equids (OR 3.22, 95% CI: 1.42-7.28). For EHV-5, the observed difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.166). The phylogenetic analysis of the gB gene revealed that the Ethiopian EHV-2 and EHV-5 strains had a remarkable genetic diversity, with a nucleotide sequence identity among each other that ranged from 94.0 to 99.4% and 95.1 to 100%, respectively. Moreover, the nucleotide sequence identity of EHV-2 and EHV-5 with isolates from other countries acquired from GenBank ranged from 92.9 to 99.1% and 95.1 to 99.5%, respectively. Our results suggest that besides EHV-1 and EHV-4, EHV-2 is likely to be an important contributor either to induce or predispose equids to respiratory disease. However, more work is needed to better understand the contribution of EHV-2 in the establishment of respiratory disease.
© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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Publication Date: 2017-01-18 PubMed ID: 28102009DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12601Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 looks into the detection and genetic characterization of Equine Herpesviruses (EHVs) in horses from Ethiopia, either healthy or suffering from respiratory disease. It found that EHV-2, a virus previously not largely associated with respiratory disease, may require further investigation as a significant contributor to these illnesses in equids.

Objective of the Research

  • The research aims to investigate the presence and genetic characterization of specific Equine Herpesviruses (EHVs) in horses suffering from respiratory diseases as compared to healthy ones.

Methodology Employed

  • The researchers used Virus-specific PCRs (Polymerase Chain Reactions) to detect the presence of EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4, and EHV-5 in horses.
  • They selected two groups comprising 160 horses with respiratory disease and 111 clinically healthy horses.

Findings of the Study

  • Among equids with respiratory problems, EHV-5 was detected most prevalently at 23.1%, followed by EHV-2 at 20.0%. EHV-4 and EHV-1 were found in 8.1% and 7.5% of the subjects, respectively.
  • In around 5.2% of diseased horses, concurrent infections with EHV-2 and EHV-5 were recorded.
  • In healthy equids, EHV-1 and EHV-4 were not found. However, EHV-2 and EHV-5 were detected in 7.2% and 16.2% of the horses, respectively.
  • A higher proportion of EHV-2 infected equids was noted in the group with respiratory diseases compared to the healthy group.
  • The study also inferred that EHV-2-positive equids were three times more likely to display clinical signs of respiratory disease than EHV-2-negative equids.

Genetic Characterization

  • The genetic analysis of the gB gene displayed significant genetic diversity among the Ethiopian EHV-2 and EHV-5 strains.
  • The nucleotide sequence identity between the detected EHV-2 and EHV-5 strains ranged from 94.0 to 99.4% and 95.1 to 100%, respectively.
  • The nucleotide sequence identity of EHV-2 and EHV-5 with isolates from other countries ranged from 92.9 to 99.1% and 95.1 to 99.5%, respectively.

Implications of the Study

  • The research indicates a possible contribution of EHV-2 towards the induction or predisposition of equids to respiratory disease, much like EHV-1 and EHV-4.
  • The exact role of EHV-2 in inducing respiratory disease in equids remains unclear, signaling the need for more comprehensive studies.

Cite This Article

APA
Negussie H, Gizaw D, Tesfaw L, Li Y, Oguma K, Sentsui H, Tessema TS, Nauwynck HJ. (2017). Detection of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV) -1, -2, -4 and -5 in Ethiopian Equids with and without Respiratory Problems and Genetic Characterization of EHV-2 and EHV-5 Strains. Transbound Emerg Dis, 64(6), 1970-1978. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12601

Publication

Transboundary and emerging diseases
ISSN: 1865-1682
NlmUniqueID: 101319538
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 64
Issue: 6
Pages: 1970-1978

Researcher Affiliations

Negussie, H
  • Laboratory of Virology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University, Debre Ziet, Ethiopia.
Gizaw, D
  • National Animal Health Diagnostic and Investigation Center, Sebeta, Ethiopia.
Tesfaw, L
  • National Veterinary Institute, Debre zeit, Ethiopia.
Li, Y
  • Laboratory of Virology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Oguma, K
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
Sentsui, H
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
Tessema, T S
  • Institute of Biotechnology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Nauwynck, H J
  • Laboratory of Virology, Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Equidae
  • Ethiopia / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Gammaherpesvirinae / genetics
  • Herpesviridae Infections / epidemiology
  • Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
  • Herpesviridae Infections / virology
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / virology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Phylogeny
  • Prevalence
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / veterinary
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology
  • Rhadinovirus / genetics
  • Rhadinovirus / isolation & purification
  • Varicellovirus / isolation & purification

Citations

This article has been cited 21 times.
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