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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.
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Publication Date: 2014-10-15 PubMed ID: 25319406PubMed Central: PMC4858071DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12480Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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

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