Outbreak of equine coronavirus disease in adult horses, Switzerland 2021.
Abstract: Coronaviruses are causing severe respiratory and enteric diseases in humans and animals. Here, we report an outbreak of equine coronavirus disease in adult horses, detected by a voluntary syndromic surveillance scheme for equine diseases in Switzerland. This scheme allowed a rapid concerted action to diagnose and contain the disease.
© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
Publication Date: 2022-03-22 PubMed ID: 35243797DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14501Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research focuses on an outbreak of equine coronavirus disease in adult horses in Switzerland in 2021, which was detected through a voluntary syndromic surveillance program, allowing swift diagnostic and disease containment actions.
Research Overview
The paper presents an investigation into an outbreak of coronavirus disease in adult horses in Switzerland. The detection of the disease outbreak was made possible through a voluntary syndic vigilance system for monitoring horse diseases. This effective surveillance system enabled swift actions for diagnosing the disease and controlling its spread among the horse population.
Equine Coronaviruses
- These are viral agents known to cause severe respiratory and enteric (related to the intestine) diseases in both humans and animals.
- Traditionally, coronaviruses have been identified in a variety of animal species, including birds, dogs, pigs, and horses. Humans, too, can get infected by certain types of coronaviruses.
Voluntary Syndromic Surveillance Scheme
- The syndromic surveillance scheme applied in this study was voluntary. It was specifically aimed at monitoring illnesses in the horse population.
- The surveillance scheme was instrumental in detecting the outbreak, allowing for a rapid and coordinated approach to diagnose and manage the disease.
- Such vigilance schemes are usually designed to quickly identify changes in disease frequency, allowing immediate action to be taken.
Outbreak Management
- Once the disease was detected, measures were rapidly enacted to diagnose and restrain the disease’s spread.
- This process likely entailed the working of veterinary professionals, epidemiologists, and possibly public health officials, who initiated the necessary steps to manage the disease, such as isolating infected horses and implementing infection control measures in the affected regions.
Implications of the Study
- The success of the surveillance scheme in the early detection and subsequent management of the equine coronavirus disease outbreak underlines the significance of such systems in preventing and controlling disease spread within animal populations.
- Studying the nature of disease outbreaks in animals can provide valuable insights into potential threats to human health, strengthening zoonotic disease prevention efforts.
Cite This Article
APA
Hierweger MM, Remy-Wohlfender F, Franzen J, Koch MC, Blau D, Schoster A, Nicholson P, Gerber V, Gurtner C, Fouché N, Unger L, Seuberlich T.
(2022).
Outbreak of equine coronavirus disease in adult horses, Switzerland 2021.
Transbound Emerg Dis, 69(4), 1691-1694.
https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14501 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- National Horse Centre, Bern, Switzerland.
- Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine, Equine Hospital, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Next Generation Sequencing Platform, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Betacoronavirus 1
- Coronavirus
- Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
- Coronavirus Infections / veterinary
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Humans
- Switzerland / epidemiology
Grant Funding
- 0714000851 / the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office
- 14/2021 / the Berne University Research Foundation
References
This article includes 14 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Stummer M, Frisch V, Glitz F, Hinney B, Spergser J, Krücken J, Diekmann I, Dimmel K, Riedel C, Cavalleri JV, Rümenapf T, Joachim A, Lyrakis M, Auer A. Presence of Equine and Bovine Coronaviruses, Endoparasites, and Bacteria in Fecal Samples of Horses with Colic. Pathogens 2023 Aug 15;12(8).
- Hepworth-Warren KL, Erwin SJ, Moore CB, Talbot JR, Young KAS, Neault MJ, Haugland JC, Robertson JB, Blikslager AT. Risk factors associated with an outbreak of equine coronavirus at a large farm in North Carolina. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1060759.
- Kouadria W, Poder SL, van Maanen K, Seuberlich T, Dawson KLD, Zientara S, Laabassi F. First serological evidence of equine coronavirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in horses in North Africa. Vet Res Commun 2025 Oct 4;49(6):347.
- Fukumoto N, Bannai H, Kawanishi N, Shibata M, Kishi D, Kambayashi Y, Tsujimura K, Nemoto M. The first outbreak of equine coronavirus infection in 13 years among draft horses at Obihiro Racecourse in Japan in 2025. J Vet Med Sci 2025 Oct 1;87(10):1158-1163.
- Pusterla N, Lawton K, Barnum S. Investigation of the seroprevalence to equine coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 in healthy adult horses recently imported to the United States. Vet Q 2024 Dec;44(1):1-6.
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