Equine hepacivirus persistent infection in a horse with chronic wasting.
Abstract: Equine hepacivirus is the closest homologue of hepatitis C virus. Limited data on the clinical features of this infection are available. We report the identification of a horse with high-titre viremia by equine hepacivirus. Over a 15-month follow-up, the clinical signs and the viremic status persisted, suggesting a chronic evolution.
© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2017-07-14 PubMed ID: 28707785DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12679Google 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
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 presents a study of a horse that was persistently infected with Equine Hepacivirus, a virus closely related to hepatitis C, and displayed sustained clinical symptoms and high level viral presence over a period of 15 months, indicating a chronic progression of the infection.
Understanding Equine Hepacivirus and Its Clinical Features
- This research focuses on Equine Hepacivirus (EqHV) which is closely related to the hepatitis C virus. EqHV infects horses and shares significant genetic similarities with hepatitis C virus.
- Despite it’s significance, little is known about the clinical features of EqHV infection in horses.
- This study offers valuable insights into clinical features of chronic EqHV infection by meticulously documenting the progression of the virus in an infected horse over a period of 15 months.
Observations on the Infected Horse
- The horse in this case study was found to have high-titre viremia caused by EqHV. Viremia signifies the presence of virus in the horse’s bloodstream, and a high-titre refers to a high concentration of virus in the blood.
- Notably, the clinical signs of infection and the viremic status (high concentration of the virus in the blood) persisted in the horse over several months, which strongly suggests a chronic progression of the infection.
- The study does not provide specific details about the clinical signs observed in the horse, but given the characteristics of other hepatoviruses, these may potentially include fever, abdominal pain and jaundice.
Significance of the Research
- This research explores the poorly-understood clinical features of chronic EqHV infection in horses. The identification of high-titre viremia and persistent clinical symptoms over an extended period points to a chronic evolution of the infection similar to what’s seen with the human counterpart, hepatitis C virus.
- This work opens up new avenues for further investigations to understand the clinical progression of EqHV, which may lead to the development of more effective treatments and prevention strategies for this virus.
Cite This Article
APA
Elia G, Lanave G, Lorusso E, Parisi A, Trotta A, Buono R, Martella V, Decaro N, Buonavoglia C.
(2017).
Equine hepacivirus persistent infection in a horse with chronic wasting.
Transbound Emerg Dis, 64(5), 1354-1358.
https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12679 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Puglia e Basilicata, Sezione di Putignano, Putignano, Bari, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale Bari, Bari, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Communicable Diseases / diagnosis
- Communicable Diseases / veterinary
- Communicable Diseases / virology
- Hepacivirus / isolation & purification
- Horses
- Male
- Phylogeny
- RNA, Viral / genetics
- Viremia / diagnosis
- Viremia / veterinary
- Viremia / virology
- Wasting Disease, Chronic / diagnosis
- Wasting Disease, Chronic / virology
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Cavalleri JV, Korbacska-Kutasi O, Leblond A, Paillot R, Pusterla N, Steinmann E, Tomlinson J. European College of Equine Internal Medicine consensus statement on equine flaviviridae infections in Europe. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Nov;36(6):1858-1871.
- Pacchiarotti G, Nardini R, Scicluna MT. Equine Hepacivirus: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis of Serological and Biomolecular Prevalence and a Phylogenetic Update. Animals (Basel) 2022 Sep 20;12(19).
- Jiang J, Hao Y, He B, Su L, Li X, Liu X, Chen C, Chen L, Zhao Z, Mi S, Deng X, Gong W, Tu C. Severe Acute Hepatitis Outbreaks Associated with a Novel Hepacivirus in Rhizomys pruinosus in Hainan, China. J Virol 2022 Sep 14;96(17):e0078222.
- Ramsauer AS, Badenhorst M, Cavalleri JV. Equine parvovirus hepatitis. Equine Vet J 2021 Sep;53(5):886-894.
- Lu G, Huang J, Yang Q, Xu H, Wu P, Fu C, Li S. Identification and genetic characterization of hepacivirus and pegivirus in commercial equine serum products in China. PLoS One 2017;12(12):e0189208.
- Hake N, von Holtum C, Höper D, Nijhof AM, Dietze K, Hoffmann B. Identification and Long-Term Detection of Hepacivirus bovis Genotype 1 and 2 on a Cattle Farm in Germany. Viruses 2026 Jan 6;18(1).
- Jager MC, Luethy D, Shallop S, Cathcart J, Divers TJ, Tan JY, Beasley EM, Johnson P, Leduc L, Smith C, Jamieson CA, Magdesian KG, Van de Walle GR, Tomlinson JE. Chronic hepatitis in horses with persistent equine hepacivirus infection. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):444-457.
- Frisch V, Ramsauer AS, Preining I, Unterköfler MS, Fuehrer HP, Hofer M, Lyrakis M, Bouhsira E, Liénard E, Cavalleri JV. First detection of equine hepacivirus RNA in Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera, Muscidae) in eastern Austria. BMC Vet Res 2025 Jul 17;21(1):474.
- Cardone R, Buonavoglia A, Lanave G, Vasinioti VI, Mininni V, Lorusso E, Decaro N, Martella V, Elia G, Diakoudi G. Description of an Equine Hepacivirus Cluster in a Horse Stable in Italy. Transbound Emerg Dis 2023;2023:5251034.
- Nardini R, Pacchiarotti G, Svicher V, Salpini R, Bellocchi MC, Conti R, Sala MG, La Rocca D, Carioti L, Cersini A, Manna G, The Equine Hepatic Viruses Consortium, Scicluna MT. First National Prevalence in Italian Horse Population and Phylogenesis Highlight a Fourth Sub-Type Candidate of Equine Hepacivirus. Viruses 2024 Apr 16;16(4).
- Mashin VV, Sergeev AN, Martynova NN, Sergeev AA, Lys'ko KA, Raikov AO, Kataeva VV, Zagidullin NV. Viral Safety Issues in the Production and Manufacturing of Human Immunoglobulin Preparations from Equine Plasma/Serum. Pharm Chem J 2022;56(4):532-537.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
