Frequent occurrence of nonprimate hepacivirus infections in Thoroughbred breeding horses – A cross-sectional study for the occurrence of infections and potential risk factors.
Abstract: Recently, several new hepaciviruses have been identified of which the nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) - the closest relative to hepatitis C virus (HCV) discovered to date - is highly prevalent in horses. However, potential risk factors for the transmission of NPHV among horses remain still unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of NPHV infections in Thoroughbreds in northern and western Germany and to identify potential risk factors associated with NPHV infections. Using a cross-sectional study design, a total of 733 serum samples from Thoroughbred broodmares and stallions from northern and western Germany were analyzed for the presence of anti-NPHV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) antibodies and NPHV RNA using the luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) and a quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. Information regarding signalment, stud farm, breeding history and international transportation history of each horse were collected and evaluated. A frequent occurrence of NPHV was found in the study population with 453 seropositive horses (61.8%) and 134 horses (18.3%) carrying NPHV RNA. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed that the probability of being infected decreased for horses with a transportation history with increasing age by 20% each year. For horses that stayed in Germany no association between age and infection could be observed. In conclusion, the high occurrence of NPHV infections in breeding Thoroughbreds suggests circulating NPHV infections, endemic herds or persistent shedding in these animals and revealed the association of age and international transportation as risk factor for NPHV infections.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2017-04-04 PubMed ID: 28619163DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2017.03.030Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research studied the prevalence and potential risk factors of nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) infections in Thoroughbred horses in Germany, finding a high occurrence and associating age and international transportation as potential risk factors.
Objective of the Study
- The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) infections in Thoroughbred horses in northern and western Germany. The research also aimed to identify potential risk factors associated with NPHV infections. Necessary since NPHV is the closest relative to the Hepatitis C virus discovered so far, and its transmission mechanisms among horses are still largely unknown.
Methodology
- The researchers used a cross-sectional study design. They collected and analyzed a total of 733 serum samples. These samples came from Thoroughbred broodmares and stallions from northern and western Germany.
- They tested the samples for the presence of anti-NPHV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) antibodies and NPHV RNA using the luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) and a quantitative real-time PCR, respectively.
- For each horse, they collected and reviewed information about details such as its stud farm, breeding history, and international transportation history.
Results of the Study
- The study revealed a significant occurrence of NPHV infections among the studied population. Out of the 733 horses, 453 were seropositive for NPHV (61.8%), and 134 horses (18.3%) were carrying NPHV RNA.
- The researchers found the probability of infection decreased for horses with a transportation history by 20% each year as the horses got older. However, for horses that remained in Germany, no association between age and infection could be observed.
Conclusion
- This high occurrence of NPHV infections among the Thoroughbred population suggests that NPHV infections are circulating, endemic herds exist, or there is persistent shedding among these animals.
- The research also revealed an association between age and international transportation as potential risk factors for NPHV infections in Thoroughbred horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Reichert C, Campe A, Walter S, Pfaender S, Welsch K, Ruddat I, Sieme H, Feige K, Steinmann E, Cavalleri JMV.
(2017).
Frequent occurrence of nonprimate hepacivirus infections in Thoroughbred breeding horses – A cross-sectional study for the occurrence of infections and potential risk factors.
Vet Microbiol, 203, 315-322.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2017.03.030 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: claudialuetkeb@googlemail.com.
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO-Collaborating Center for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 2, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Amely.Campe@tiho-hannover.de.
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Stephaniewalter@gmx.de.
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Stephanie.pfaender@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Kathrin.Welsch@twincore.de.
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO-Collaborating Center for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 2, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: inga.ruddat@tiho-hannover.de.
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Harald.Sieme@tiho-hannover.de.
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Karsten.Feige@tiho-hannover.de.
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research; a joint venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Eike.Steinmann@twincore.de.
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Jessika.Cavalleri@tiho-hannover.de.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Female
- Germany / epidemiology
- Hepacivirus / physiology
- Hepatitis C / epidemiology
- Hepatitis C / veterinary
- Hepatitis C / virology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses / virology
- Male
- Prevalence
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Risk Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Atasoy MO, Turan T, Özbek R, Işıdan H, Naggar RFE, Afify AF, Rohaim MA. Evaluation of Risk Determinants and Molecular Characterisation for Non-Primate Hepacivirus Infection in Turkish Horses. Pathogens 2025 Dec 8;14(12).
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- 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).
- 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.
- Breitfeld J, Fischer N, Tsachev I, Marutsov P, Baymakova M, Plhal R, Keuling O, Becher P, Baechlein C. Expanded Diversity and Host Range of Bovine Hepacivirus-Genomic and Serological Evidence in Domestic and Wild Ruminant Species. Viruses 2022 Jun 30;14(7).
- Moreira-Soto A, Arroyo-Murillo F, Sander AL, Rasche A, Corman V, Tegtmeyer B, Steinmann E, Corrales-Aguilar E, Wieseke N, Avey-Arroyo J, Drexler JF. Cross-order host switches of hepatitis C-related viruses illustrated by a novel hepacivirus from sloths. Virus Evol 2020 Jul;6(2):veaa033.
- Badenhorst M, de Heus P, Auer A, Rümenapf T, Tegtmeyer B, Kolodziejek J, Nowotny N, Steinmann E, Cavalleri JV. No Evidence of Mosquito Involvement in the Transmission of Equine Hepacivirus (Flaviviridae) in an Epidemiological Survey of Austrian Horses. Viruses 2019 Nov 1;11(11).
- Meister TL, Tegtmeyer B, Brüggemann Y, Sieme H, Feige K, Todt D, Stang A, Cavalleri JV, Steinmann E. Characterization of Equine Parvovirus in Thoroughbred Breeding Horses from Germany. Viruses 2019 Oct 18;11(10).
- Tegtmeyer B, Echelmeyer J, Pfankuche VM, Puff C, Todt D, Fischer N, Durham A, Feige K, Baumgärtner W, Steinmann E, Cavalleri JV. Chronic equine hepacivirus infection in an adult gelding with severe hepatopathy. Vet Med Sci 2019 Aug;5(3):372-378.
- Hayashi S, Tanaka T, Moriishi K, Hirayama K, Yamada A, Hotta K. Seroepidemiology of non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) in Japanese native horses. J Vet Med Sci 2018 Feb 2;80(1):186-189.
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