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Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)2021; 10(6); 707; doi: 10.3390/pathogens10060707

Equid herpesvirus-1 Distribution in Equine Lymphoid and Neural Tissues 70 Days Post Infection.

Abstract: Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and myeloencephalopathy in horses worldwide. As member of the , latency is key to EHV-1 epidemiology. EHV-1 latent infection has been detected in the trigeminal ganglion (TG), respiratory associated lymphoid tissue (RALT) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) but additional locations are likely. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of viral DNA throughout the equine body. Twenty-five horses divided into three groups were experimentally infected via intranasal instillation with one of three EHV-1 viruses and euthanized on Day 70, post infection. During necropsy, TG, various sympathetic/parasympathetic ganglia of head, neck, thorax and abdomen, spinal cord dorsal root ganglia, RALT, mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and PBMC of each horse were collected. Genomic viral loads and L-(late) gene transcriptional activity in each tissue and PBMC were measured using qPCR. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was applied on neural parenchyma tissue sections. EHV-1 DNA was detected in many neural and lymphoid tissue sections, but not in PBMC. L-gene transcriptional activity was not detected in any sample, and translational activity was not apparent on IHC. Tissue tropism differed between the Ab4 wild type and the two mutant viruses.
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Publication Date: 2021-06-05 PubMed ID: 34198884PubMed Central: PMC8228440DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060707Google 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 research studied the distribution of Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in horses’ bodies, specifically in lymphoid and neural tissues, at 70 days after infection. It found the presence of the virus across many different parts of the body but none in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Objective

The objective of this research was to investigate the distribution of EHV-1, a herpes virus that can cause several health problems in horses, including respiratory disease, abortion, and myeloencephalopathy. The study aimed to expand the understanding of the virus’s distribution in horses’ bodies, particularly in the lymphoid and neural tissues, approximately 70 days post infection. This is a crucial area of study since EHV-1’s latency in different body parts plays a significant role in its spread and epidemiology.

Methodology

  • Twenty-five horses, divided into three groups, were intranasally infected with the virus and euthanized about two months post infection.
  • Different body parts and tissues from these horses, including ganglia from the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen, dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord, lymph nodes, spleen, and PBMC, were collected.
  • The collected tissues and PBMC were then analyzed for the presence of viral DNA.
  • Detection methods included qPCR to measure genomic viral loads and L-gene transcriptional activity and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on neural parenchyma tissue sections.

Findings

  • The results of this study reveal the distribution of EHV-1 in horses’ bodies. The virus was found in many neural and lymphoid tissues, but not in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
  • No transcriptional activity of the L-gene, a late gene of the virus, was detected from any of the samples taken. Immunohistochemistry also found no translational activity.
  • The study found that tissue tropism, or the specific cells and tissues that a virus targets, differed between the wild type EHV-1 and its two mutant strains.

Impact

These findings shed light on the behavior of EHV-1 in horses’ bodies, particularly considering its potential to establish latent infections in different tissues. Understanding this distribution can help inform approaches to diagnose, manage, and treat various health conditions caused by EHV-1 in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Samoilowa S, Giessler KS, Torres CEM, Hussey GS, Allum A, Fux R, Jerke C, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Goehring LS. (2021). Equid herpesvirus-1 Distribution in Equine Lymphoid and Neural Tissues 70 Days Post Infection. Pathogens, 10(6), 707. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10060707

Publication

Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
ISSN: 2076-0817
NlmUniqueID: 101596317
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 6
PII: 707

Researcher Affiliations

Samoilowa, Susanna
  • Equine Hospital, Division of Medicine and Reproduction, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Giessler, Kim S
  • Equine Hospital, Division of Medicine and Reproduction, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
  • Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Torres, Carlos E Medina
  • Equine Hospital, Division of Medicine and Reproduction, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Hussey, Gisela Soboll
  • Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Allum, Allison
  • Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Fux, Robert
  • Division of Virology, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Jerke, Christin
  • Equine Hospital, Division of Medicine and Reproduction, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Kiupel, Matti
  • Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
  • Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Matiasek, Kaspar
  • Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitaet München, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Sledge, Dodd G
  • Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Goehring, Lutz S
  • Equine Hospital, Division of Medicine and Reproduction, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80539 Munich, Germany.

Grant Funding

  • 2016#306 / Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Dotto-Maurel A, Arzul I, Morga B, Chevignon G. Herpesviruses: overview of systematics, genomic complexity and life cycle. Virol J 2025 May 22;22(1):155.
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  2. Wagner B, Schnabel CL, Rollins A. Increase in Virus-Specific Mucosal Antibodies in the Upper Respiratory Tract Following Intramuscular Vaccination of Previously Exposed Horses Against Equine Herpesvirus Type-1/4. Vaccines (Basel) 2025 Mar 10;13(3).
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  4. Saklou N, Pleasant S, Lahmers K, Funk R. Prevalence of Latent Equid Herpesvirus Type 1 in Submandibular Lymph Nodes of Horses in Virginia. Pathogens 2023 Jun 7;12(6).
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