FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Disease associated with equine coronavirus infection and hig...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2014; 29(1); 307-310; doi: 10.1111/jvim.12480

Disease associated with equine coronavirus infection and high case fatality rate.

Abstract: Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is associated with clinical disease in adult horses. Outbreaks are associated with a low case fatality rate and a small number of animals with signs of encephalopathic disease are described. Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of two outbreaks of ECoV infection that were associated with an high case fatality rate. Methods: 14 miniature horses and 1 miniature donkey testing fecal positive for ECoV from two related disease outbreaks. Methods: Retrospective study describing the epidemiological findings, clinicopathological findings, and fecal viral load from affected horses. Results: In EcoV positive horses, 27% (4/15) of the animals died or were euthanized. Severe hyperammonemia (677 μmol/L, reference range ≤ 60 μmol/L) was identified in one animal with signs of encephalopathic disease that subsequently died. Fecal viral load (ECoV genome equivalents per gram of feces) was significantly higher in the nonsurvivors compared to animals that survived (P = .02). Conclusions: Equine coronavirus had a higher case fatality rate in this group of miniature horses than previously reported in other outbreaks of varying breeds. Hyperammonemia could contribute to signs of encephalopathic disease, and the fecal viral load might be of prognostic value in affected horses.
Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2014-10-15 PubMed ID: 25319406PubMed Central: PMC4858071DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12480Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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 presents a study carried out on equine coronavirus (ECoV) with a higher than usual fatality rate. The scientists aim to identify and understand the epidemiological and clinical traits of the two outbreaks that occurred.

Objective of the Study

The primary aim of this research is to understand and describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of two separate ECoV outbreaks which exhibited larger death counts than what is typically observed.

Methods Used

  • The study was retrospective and involved assessing the epidemiological, clinicopathological findings, and fecal viral load from infected horses.
  • The research was conducted on 14 differently sized horses and 1 miniature donkey that had been confirmed as ECoV-positive through fecal testing.
  • All the subjects were part of two related disease outbreaks.

Results

  • Of all the ECoV positive horses, nearly 27% of them (or 4 out of the 15) either died naturally or were euthanized.
  • One of these animals, which displayed signs of suffering from encephalopathic disease, was identified to have severe hyperammonemia, with ammonia levels reaching 677 μmol/L (with the standard reference range being up to 60 μmol/L).
  • Interestingly, after testing the viral load in fecal matter, they found that the fecal viral load (number of ECoV genome units per gram of feces) was significantly higher in the animals that didn’t survive their illness when compared with the ones who did.

Conclusions

  • The researchers found that ECoV caused more fatalities in the group of miniature horses they sampled than what has previously been reported during different outbreaks across varying breeds.
  • Hyperammonemia could have been a contributing factor to the symptoms of encephalopathic disease.
  • The fecal viral load test results indicated a potential correlation with the prognosis for affected horses, indicating that this could be valuable information moving forward.

Cite This Article

APA
Fielding CL, Higgins JK, Higgins JC, McIntosh S, Scott E, Giannitti F, Mete A, Pusterla N. (2014). Disease associated with equine coronavirus infection and high case fatality rate. J Vet Intern Med, 29(1), 307-310. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12480

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 29
Issue: 1
Pages: 307-310

Researcher Affiliations

Fielding, C L
  • wLoomis Basin Equine Medical Center, Penryn, CA.
Higgins, J K
    Higgins, J C
      McIntosh, S
        Scott, E
          Giannitti, F
            Mete, A
              Pusterla, N

                MeSH Terms

                • Animals
                • California / epidemiology
                • Coronavirus / classification
                • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
                • Coronavirus Infections / mortality
                • Coronavirus Infections / veterinary
                • Disease Outbreaks
                • Encephalitis / epidemiology
                • Encephalitis / veterinary
                • Encephalitis / virology
                • Feces / virology
                • Female
                • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                • Horse Diseases / mortality
                • Horse Diseases / pathology
                • Horse Diseases / virology
                • Horses
                • Idaho / epidemiology
                • Male
                • Retrospective Studies
                • Texas / epidemiology
                • Viral Load
                • Virus Shedding

                References

                This article includes 14 references
                1. Slovis NM, Elam J, Estrada M, Leutenegger CM. Infectious agents associated with diarrhoea in neonatal foals in central Kentucky: a comprehensive molecular study.. Equine Vet J 2014 May;46(3):311-6.
                  pmc: PMC7163618pubmed: 23773143doi: 10.1111/evj.12119google scholar: lookup
                2. Davis E, Rush BR, Cox J, DeBey B, Kapil S. Neonatal enterocolitis associated with coronavirus infection in a foal: a case report.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2000 Mar;12(2):153-6.
                  pubmed: 10730946doi: 10.1177/104063870001200210google scholar: lookup
                3. Pusterla N, Mapes S, Wademan C, White A, Ball R, Sapp K, Burns P, Ormond C, Butterworth K, Bartol J, Magdesian KG. Emerging outbreaks associated with equine coronavirus in adult horses.. Vet Microbiol 2013 Feb 22;162(1):228-31.
                  pmc: PMC7117461pubmed: 23123176doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.10.014google scholar: lookup
                4. Oue Y, Morita Y, Kondo T, Nemoto M. Epidemic of equine coronavirus at Obihiro Racecourse, Hokkaido, Japan in 2012.. J Vet Med Sci 2013;75(9):1261-5.
                  pubmed: 23648375doi: 10.1292/jvms.13-0056google scholar: lookup
                5. Oue Y, Ishihara R, Edamatsu H, Morita Y, Yoshida M, Yoshima M, Hatama S, Murakami K, Kanno T. Isolation of an equine coronavirus from adult horses with pyrogenic and enteric disease and its antigenic and genomic characterization in comparison with the NC99 strain.. Vet Microbiol 2011 May 12;150(1-2):41-8.
                  pmc: PMC7117184pubmed: 21273011doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.01.004google scholar: lookup
                6. Chu CM, Poon LL, Cheng VC, Chan KS, Hung IF, Wong MM, Chan KH, Leung WS, Tang BS, Chan VL, Ng WL, Sim TC, Ng PW, Law KI, Tse DM, Peiris JS, Yuen KY. Initial viral load and the outcomes of SARS.. CMAJ 2004 Nov 23;171(11):1349-52.
                  pmc: PMC527336pubmed: 15557587doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1040398google scholar: lookup
                7. Mapes S, Rhodes DM, Wilson WD, Leutenegger CM, Pusterla N. Comparison of five real-time PCR assays for detecting virulence genes in isolates of Escherichia coli from septicaemic neonatal foals.. Vet Rec 2007 Nov 24;161(21):716-8.
                  pubmed: 18037693doi: 10.1136/vr.161.21.716google scholar: lookup
                8. Hung IF, Lau SK, Woo PC, Yuen KY. Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations.. Hong Kong Med J 2009 Dec;15 Suppl 9:20-2.
                  pubmed: 20393220
                9. Dunkel B, Chaney KP, Dallap-Schaer BL, Pellegrini-Masini A, Mair TS, Boston R. Putative intestinal hyperammonaemia in horses: 36 cases.. Equine Vet J 2011 Mar;43(2):133-40.
                  pubmed: 21592205doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00128.xgoogle scholar: lookup
                10. Peek SF, Divers TJ, Jackson CJ. Hyperammonaemia associated with encephalopathy and abdominal pain without evidence of liver disease in four mature horses.. Equine Vet J 1997 Jan;29(1):70-4.
                  pubmed: 9031869doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1997.tb01641.xgoogle scholar: lookup
                11. Byars TD, Gonda KC. Equine history, physical examination, records, and recognizing abuse or neglect in patients. In: Smith BP, ed. Large Animal Internal Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2014:13–20.
                12. Kaneko JJ, Harvey JW, Bruss ML. Appendix VIII blood analyte reference values in large animals. In: Kaneko JJ, Harvey JW, Bruss ML, eds. Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals. Burlington, MA: Elsevier; 2008:882–888.
                13. Harvey RB, Hambright MB, Rowe LD. Clinical biochemical and hematologic values of the American Miniature Horse: reference values.. Am J Vet Res 1984 May;45(5):987-90.
                  pubmed: 6732035
                14. Meyer DJ, Harvey JW. Appendix. In: Meyer DJ, Harvey JW, eds. Veterinary Laboratory Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Saunders; 2004:307.

                Citations

                This article has been cited 30 times.
                1. Stummer M, Frisch V, Glitz F, Hinney B, Spergser J, Krücken J, Diekmann I, Dimmel K, Riedel C, Cavalleri JV, Rümenapf T, Joachim A, Lyrakis M, Auer A. Presence of Equine and Bovine Coronaviruses, Endoparasites, and Bacteria in Fecal Samples of Horses with Colic.. Pathogens 2023 Aug 15;12(8).
                  doi: 10.3390/pathogens12081043pubmed: 37624003google scholar: lookup
                2. Hepworth-Warren KL, Erwin SJ, Moore CB, Talbot JR, Young KAS, Neault MJ, Haugland JC, Robertson JB, Blikslager AT. Risk factors associated with an outbreak of equine coronavirus at a large farm in North Carolina.. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1060759.
                  doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1060759pubmed: 36937023google scholar: lookup
                3. Schuettenberg A, Piña A, Metrailer M, Peláez-Sánchez RG, Agudelo-Flórez P, Lopez JÁ, Ryle L, Monroy FP, Altin JA, Ladner JT. Highly Multiplexed Serology for Nonhuman Mammals.. Microbiol Spectr 2022 Oct 26;10(5):e0287322.
                  doi: 10.1128/spectrum.02873-22pubmed: 36125316google scholar: lookup
                4. Uzal FA, Arroyo LG, Navarro MA, Gomez DE, Asín J, Henderson E. Bacterial and viral enterocolitis in horses: a review.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022 May;34(3):354-375.
                  doi: 10.1177/10406387211057469pubmed: 34763560google scholar: lookup
                5. Islam A, Ferdous J, Islam S, Sayeed MA, Dutta Choudhury S, Saha O, Hassan MM, Shirin T. Evolutionary Dynamics and Epidemiology of Endemic and Emerging Coronaviruses in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Wildlife.. Viruses 2021 Sep 23;13(10).
                  doi: 10.3390/v13101908pubmed: 34696338google scholar: lookup
                6. Kopper JJ, Willette JA, Kogan CJ, Seguin A, Bolin SR, Schott HC 2nd. Detection of pathogens in blood or feces of adult horses with enteric disease and association with outcome of colitis.. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2465-2472.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.16238pubmed: 34382708google scholar: lookup
                7. Korath ADJ, Janda J, Untersmayr E, Sokolowska M, Feleszko W, Agache I, Adel Seida A, Hartmann K, Jensen-Jarolim E, Pali-Schöll I. One Health: EAACI Position Paper on coronaviruses at the human-animal interface, with a specific focus on comparative and zoonotic aspects of SARS-CoV-2.. Allergy 2022 Jan;77(1):55-71.
                  doi: 10.1111/all.14991pubmed: 34180546google scholar: lookup
                8. Schvartz G, Tirosh-Levy S, Barnum S, David D, Sol A, Pusterla N, Steinman A. Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Exposure to Equine Coronavirus in Apparently Healthy Horses in Israel.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 21;11(3).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani11030894pubmed: 33800990google scholar: lookup
                9. Colina SE, Serena MS, Echeverría MG, Metz GE. Clinical and molecular aspects of veterinary coronaviruses.. Virus Res 2021 May;297:198382.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2021.198382pubmed: 33705799google scholar: lookup
                10. Baloch GM, Sundarasen S, Chinna K, Nurunnabi M, Kamaludin K, Khoshaim HB, Hossain SFA, AlSukayt A. COVID-19: exploring impacts of the pandemic and lockdown on mental health of Pakistani students.. PeerJ 2021;9:e10612.
                  doi: 10.7717/peerj.10612pubmed: 33604167google scholar: lookup
                11. Zappulli V, Ferro S, Bonsembiante F, Brocca G, Calore A, Cavicchioli L, Centelleghe C, Corazzola G, De Vreese S, Gelain ME, Mazzariol S, Moccia V, Rensi N, Sammarco A, Torrigiani F, Verin R, Castagnaro M. Pathology of Coronavirus Infections: A Review of Lesions in Animals in the One-Health Perspective.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Dec 11;10(12).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani10122377pubmed: 33322366google scholar: lookup
                12. Khamassi Khbou M, Daaloul Jedidi M, Bouaicha Zaafouri F, Benzarti M. Coronaviruses in farm animals: Epidemiology and public health implications.. Vet Med Sci 2021 Mar;7(2):322-347.
                  doi: 10.1002/vms3.359pubmed: 32976707google scholar: lookup
                13. Haake C, Cook S, Pusterla N, Murphy B. Coronavirus Infections in Companion Animals: Virology, Epidemiology, Clinical and Pathologic Features.. Viruses 2020 Sep 13;12(9).
                  doi: 10.3390/v12091023pubmed: 32933150google scholar: lookup
                14. Fielding CL, Magdesian KG, Mayer JR. Resolution of neurologic signs presumed to be associated with hyperammonemia in 2 endurance horses.. Can Vet J 2020 Aug;61(8):860-864.
                  pubmed: 32741992
                15. Prutton JSW, Barnum S, Pusterla N. Evaluation of safety, humoral immune response and faecal shedding in horses inoculated with a modified-live bovine coronavirus vaccination.. Equine Vet Educ 2020 Aug;32(Suppl 11):33-36.
                  doi: 10.1111/eve.13175pubmed: 32427191google scholar: lookup
                16. Goodrich EL, Mittel LD, Glaser A, Ness SL, Radcliffe RM, Divers TJ. Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York.. Equine Vet Educ 2020 Mar;32(3):150-154.
                  doi: 10.1111/eve.12938pubmed: 32313400google scholar: lookup
                17. Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger C, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Equine coronavirus: An emerging enteric virus of adult horses.. Equine Vet Educ 2016 Apr;28(4):216-223.
                  doi: 10.1111/eve.12453pubmed: 32313392google scholar: lookup
                18. Wright S. Highlights of recent clinically relevant papers.. Equine Vet Educ 2015 Apr;27(4):167-168.
                  doi: 10.1111/eve.12362pubmed: 32313391google scholar: lookup
                19. Mattei DN, Kopper JJ, Sanz MG. Equine Coronavirus-Associated Colitis in Horses: A Retrospective Study.. J Equine Vet Sci 2020 Apr;87:102906.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.102906pubmed: 32172908google scholar: lookup
                20. DeNotta SL, Divers TJ. Clinical Pathology in the Adult Sick Horse: The Gastrointestinal System and Liver.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020 Apr;36(1):105-120.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2019.11.004pubmed: 31982231google scholar: lookup
                21. Zhao S, Smits C, Schuurman N, Barnum S, Pusterla N, Kuppeveld FV, Bosch BJ, Maanen KV, Egberink H. Development and Validation of a S1 Protein-Based ELISA for the Specific Detection of Antibodies against Equine Coronavirus.. Viruses 2019 Nov 30;11(12).
                  doi: 10.3390/v11121109pubmed: 31801275google scholar: lookup
                22. Berryhill EH, Magdesian KG, Aleman M, Pusterla N. Clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, and outcome of adult horses with equine coronavirus infection at a veterinary teaching hospital: 33 cases (2012-2018).. Vet J 2019 Jun;248:95-100.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.05.001pubmed: 31113572google scholar: lookup
                23. Sanz MG, Kwon S, Pusterla N, Gold JR, Bain F, Evermann J. Evaluation of equine coronavirus fecal shedding among hospitalized horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):918-922.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.15449pubmed: 30788861google scholar: lookup
                24. Manship AJ, Blikslager AT, Elfenbein JR. Disease features of equine coronavirus and enteric salmonellosis are similar in horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):912-917.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.15386pubmed: 30632200google scholar: lookup
                25. Schaefer E, Harms C, Viner M, Barnum S, Pusterla N. Investigation of an experimental infection model of equine coronavirus in adult horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Nov;32(6):2099-2104.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.15318pubmed: 30353949google scholar: lookup
                26. Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger CM, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Enteric coronavirus infection in adult horses.. Vet J 2018 Jan;231:13-18.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.11.004pubmed: 29429482google scholar: lookup
                27. Nemoto M, Kanno T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kokado H. Antibody response to equine coronavirus in horses inoculated with a bovine coronavirus vaccine.. J Vet Med Sci 2017 Nov 17;79(11):1889-1891.
                  doi: 10.1292/jvms.17-0414pubmed: 28993568google scholar: lookup
                28. Kooijman LJ, James K, Mapes SM, Theelen MJ, Pusterla N. Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with equine coronavirus in healthy horses in the USA.. Vet J 2017 Feb;220:91-94.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.01.007pubmed: 28190504google scholar: lookup
                29. Uzal FA, Diab SS. Gastritis, Enteritis, and Colitis in Horses.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2015 Aug;31(2):337-58.
                  doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2015.04.006pubmed: 26048413google scholar: lookup
                30. Li L, Giannitti F, Low J, Keyes C, Ullmann LS, Deng X, Aleman M, Pesavento PA, Pusterla N, Delwart E. Exploring the virome of diseased horses.. J Gen Virol 2015 Sep;96(9):2721-2733.
                  doi: 10.1099/vir.0.000199pubmed: 26044792google scholar: lookup
                Subscribe to our newsletter
                Join 99,383 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.