Equine infectious anemia in mules: virus isolation and pathogenicity studies.
Abstract: There appears to be a lack of information concerning responses of mules to natural infection or experimental inoculation with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). In the present study EIAV was isolated from mules, for the first time, and its pathogenicity in naturally infected and experimentally inoculated animals was investigated. Two naturally infected (A and B) and three EIAV free mules (C, D and E) were used for this purpose. Mule A developed clinical signs, whereas mule B remained asymptomatic until the end of the study. Mules C and D were each inoculated with 10ml of blood from mule A and developed signs of the disease; they were euthanatized or died at day 22 and 25 post-inoculation, respectively. Mule E served as a negative control. The virus was isolated from the plasma samples of mules with clinical signs of the disease (A, C and D), but not from the asymptomatic mule B. Both proviral DNA and viral RNA were amplified from blood and tissues of the infected animals by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Antibodies were not detected in the two experimentally infected mules until their natural death or euthanasia. Clinicopathological and laboratory findings showed that, in mules, EIAV produced clinical signs similar to those observed in horses and ponies. Nested PCR proved to be a rapid, sensitive and specific diagnostic method for the detection of EIAV, regardless of the disease stage.
Publication Date: 2003-07-16 PubMed ID: 12860076DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1135(03)00151-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article is a study on the effects of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) in mules, highlighting that it leads to clinical symptoms similar to those seen in horses and ponies, while also discussing the effectiveness of nested polymerase chain reaction as a diagnostic method.
Introduction and Background
- The study was initiated due to the shortage of information on how mules respond to natural infection or experimental inoculation with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV).
- This research represents the first time EIAV has been isolated from mules, and the study sought to determine its pathogenicity in naturally infected and experimentally inoculated animals.
Method and Process
- The researchers used two naturally infected mules (A and B) and three EIAV-free mules (C, D, and E) for the experiment.
- Mules A and B showed different responses, with A developing clinical signs of EIAV, while B remained asymptomatic.
- For experimental inoculation, mules C and D were injected with blood from mule A and developed symptoms of the disease.
- Mule E was used as a negative control to monitor any changes outside of the experimental variables.
Findings and Outcome
- The EIAV virus was successfully isolated from mules A, C, and D, all of which demonstrated clinical signs of the disease.
- Interestingly, the virus couldn’t be isolated from the asymptomatic mule B, indicating varied responses in different mules.
- Mules C and D succumbed to the disease or had to be euthanized by day 22 and day 25 post-inoculation, respectively. Notably, antibodies weren’t detected in these mules before their demise.
- Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR), a fast, sensitive, and specific diagnostic method, successfully amplified both proviral DNA and viral RNA from the blood and tissues of infected mules, making it a viable tool for EIAV detection regardless of the disease stage.
Conclusion
- In conclusion, the study demonstrated that EIAV in mules produces clinical symptoms akin to those observed in horses and ponies.
- Additionally, the nested PCR was shown to be a potent diagnostic method for EIAV, capable of identifying the virus across different stages of the disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Spyrou V, Papanastassopoulou M, Psychas V, Billinis Ch, Koumbati M, Vlemmas J, Koptopoulos G.
(2003).
Equine infectious anemia in mules: virus isolation and pathogenicity studies.
Vet Microbiol, 95(1-2), 49-59.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-1135(03)00151-2 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-541 24, Greece.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral
- DNA, Viral / chemistry
- DNA, Viral / genetics
- Equidae / virology
- Equine Infectious Anemia / virology
- Immunodiffusion / veterinary
- Infectious Anemia Virus, Equine / genetics
- Infectious Anemia Virus, Equine / isolation & purification
- Infectious Anemia Virus, Equine / pathogenicity
- RNA, Viral / chemistry
- RNA, Viral / genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Virulence
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Câmara RJF, Bueno BL, Resende CF, Balasuriya UBR, Sakamoto SM, Reis JKPD. Viral Diseases that Affect Donkeys and Mules. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 25;10(12).
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