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One health outlook2022; 4(1); 9; doi: 10.1186/s42522-022-00065-y

Experimental cross-species infection of donkeys with equine hepacivirus and analysis of host immune signatures.

Abstract: The Equine Hepacivirus (EqHV) is an equine-specific and liver-tropic virus belonging to the diverse genus of Hepaciviruses. It was recently found in a large donkey (Equus asinus) cohort with a similar seroprevalence (30%), but lower rate of RNA-positive animals (0.3%) compared to horses. These rare infection events indicate either a lack of adaptation to the new host or a predominantly acute course of infection. Methods: In order to analyze the susceptibility and the course of EqHV infection in donkeys, we inoculated two adult female donkeys and one control horse intravenously with purified EqHV from a naturally infected horse. Liver biopsies were taken before and after inoculation to study changes in the transcriptome. Results: Infection kinetics were similar between the equids. All animals were EqHV PCR-positive from day three. EqHV RNA-levels declined when the animals seroconverted and both donkeys cleared the virus from the blood by week 12. Infection did not have an impact on the clinical findings and no significant histopathological differences were seen. Blood biochemistry revealed a mild increase in GLDH at the time of seroconversion in horses, which was less pronounced in donkeys. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a distinct set of differentially expressed genes, including viral host factors and immune genes. Conclusions: To summarize, our findings indicate that donkeys are a natural host of EqHV, due to the almost identical infection kinetics. The different immune responses do however suggest different mechanisms in reacting to hepaciviral infections.
© 2022. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2022-05-09 PubMed ID: 35527255PubMed Central: PMC9082851DOI: 10.1186/s42522-022-00065-yGoogle 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 article investigates the susceptibility of donkeys to the Equine Hepacivirus (EqHV), a liver-specific virus, through experimental inoculation and the subsequent immune response.

Research Methodology

Researchers in the study conducted an experimental cross-species infection, where they inoculated two adult female donkeys and one control horse with purified EqHV obtained from a naturally-infected horse. This inoculation was done intravenously.

  • The researchers performed liver biopsies both before and after the inoculation in order to study alterations in the transcriptome.

Results of the Study

The study found that the kinetics of the EqHV infection were similar across all test subjects.

  • All of the animals tested positive for EqHV following PCR testing from the third day of the experiment.
  • EqHV RNA levels declined correspondingly to seroconversion – the period during a virus or bacteria infection when the organism’s antibodies start to become detectable.
  • The donkeys cleared the virus from their blood by the 12th week of the study.
  • The infection had no significant impact on clinical findings and no identifiable histopathological differences were observed.
  • However, blood biochemistry did reveal a mild increase in glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) at the time of seroconversion in horses. This increase was much less noticeable in the donkeys.
  • Through transcriptomic analysis, a discernible set of differentially expressed genes were identified. These included both viral host factors and immune genes.

Conclusions

Based on the evidence from this investigative study, researchers concluded that donkeys are a natural host of EqHV, given that their infection kinetics were nearly identical to those of the horses.

  • However, the disparity in immune responses between the horses and donkeys suggests that different mechanisms are involved in how each species reacts to hepaciviral infections.

Cite This Article

APA
Gömer A, Puff C, Reinecke B, Bracht S, Conze M, Baumgärtner W, Steinmann J, Feige K, Cavalleri JMV, Steinmann E, Todt D. (2022). Experimental cross-species infection of donkeys with equine hepacivirus and analysis of host immune signatures. One Health Outlook, 4(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-022-00065-y

Publication

One health outlook
ISSN: 2524-4655
NlmUniqueID: 101769253
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
Pages: 9
PII: 9

Researcher Affiliations

Gömer, André
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
  • Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Puff, Christina
  • Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Reinecke, Birthe
  • Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.
Bracht, Stephanie
  • Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany.
Conze, Maria
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Baumgärtner, Wolfgang
  • Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Steinmann, Jörg
  • Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
  • Institute of Clinical Hygiene, Medical Microbiology and Infectiology, General Hospital Nürnberg, Paracelsus Medical University, Nürnberg, Germany.
Feige, Karsten
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Cavalleri, Jessika M V
  • Clinical Unit of Equine Internal Medicine, Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni), Vienna, Austria.
Steinmann, Eike
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Todt, Daniel
  • Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. daniel.todt@ruhr-uni-bochum.de.
  • European Virus Bioinformatics Center (EVBC), Jena, Germany. daniel.todt@ruhr-uni-bochum.de.

Grant Funding

  • 398066876-GRK 2485/1 / Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • STE1954/6-1 / Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Conflict of Interest Statement

There are no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Gömer A, Delarocque J, Puff C, Nocke MK, Reinecke B, Baumgärtner W, Cavalleri JMV, Feige K, Steinmann E, Todt D. Dose-Dependent Hepacivirus Infection Reveals Linkage between Infectious Dose and Immune Response. Microbiol Spectr 2022 Oct 26;10(5):e0168622.
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