Period of excretion of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) from a stallion before showing clinical signs of equine coital exanthema and the effect of acyclovir treatment on the duration of EHV-3 excretion.
Abstract: In 2017, two Thoroughbred stallions, A and B in Farms A and B, respectively, in Hokkaido in Japan showed clinical signs of equine coital exanthema (ECE). In 2020, stallion C in Farm B showed clinical signs of ECE. Eighteen mares were mated within five days before stallion A developed ECE. Ten mares that mated within 3 days before onset showed clinical signs of ECE on the external genitalia. Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) was isolated from vaginal swabs from three mares that mated within 2 days before onset. Swabs from 12 mares that mated within 4 days before onset were real-time PCR (rPCR)-positive and nine of those mares had an increased EHV-3 antibody titer. The three stallions were administered valaciclovir orally and topical acyclovir ointment was applied. Treatment started on the next day after onset in stallion A and on the day of onset in stallions B and C. EHV-3 was firstly isolated from penis swabs of stallions A and B before treatment and from penis swabs of stallion C 2 days after treatment. EHV-3 was not isolated after 8, 5 and 8 days from onset in stallions A, B and C, respectively. However, swabs were rPCR-positive for at least 12, 9 and 15 days after onset of stallions A, B and C, respectively. EHV-3 was excreted from the stallions at least within 4 days before the onset of ECE, and acyclovir treatment resulted in the termination of excretion within 8 days after onset.
Publication Date: 2020-07-20 PubMed ID: 32684614PubMed Central: PMC7538329DOI: 10.1292/jvms.20-0056Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study investigates the excretion period of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) in stallions before they show symptoms of equine coital exanthema (ECE). The research also evaluates the impact of acyclovir treatment on the duration of EHV-3 excretion.
Objective and Experimental Setup
- The research was designed to understand the period during which EHV-3, the herpesvirus responsible for ECE in horses, is excreted by stallions prior to the appearance of clinical ECE symptoms. Further, the study explored the effect of acyclovir treatment in altering the duration of virus excretion.
- Two Thoroughbred stallions, coded as A and B, located in separate farms in Hokkaido, Japan in 2017, and another stallion, coded as C, located in farm B in 2020, became the subjects of the study after showing ECE symptoms.
Observations and Findings
- Eighteen mares that had mated with stallion A within five days before the appearance of ECE symptoms were monitored and studied. Among them, ten mares developed ECE symptoms after mating within three days before onset.
- EHV-3 was isolated from the vaginal swabs of three mares that mated with Stallion A within 2 days before ECE signs were evident.
- Twelve mares that mated within four days before symptoms started showing tested positive for EHV-3 through real-time PCR test. Nine of these twelve mares also exhibited increased EHV-3 antibody levels, suggesting infection.
Treatment and Results
- All three stallions (A, B, and C) received oral valaciclovir and topical acyclovir ointment. The treatment started the very next day after symptoms appeared in Stallion A, and on the very day of symptom onset in Stallions B and C.
- EHV-3 was first isolated from the penis swabs of Stallions A and B before treatment and from Stallion C two days after treatment commenced. Following this, EHV-3 could not be identified after 8, 5, and 8 days from onset in stallions A, B, C, respectively.
- However, swab tests stayed positive for EHV-3 for at least 12, 9, and 15 days after onset in stallions A, B, and C, respectively. This suggests that even after the virus could not be isolated, traces of it remained for several more days.
- The findings indicated that EHV-3 is excreted by the Stallions at least four days prior to the onset of ECE. Furthermore, the administration of acyclovir would halt the excretion within 8 days after onset.
Cite This Article
APA
Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Kirisawa R.
(2020).
Period of excretion of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) from a stallion before showing clinical signs of equine coital exanthema and the effect of acyclovir treatment on the duration of EHV-3 excretion.
J Vet Med Sci, 82(9), 1299-1305.
https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.20-0056 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Shadai Stallion Station, 275 Hayakita-Genbu, Abira-cho, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido 059-1432, Japan.
- Shadai Stallion Station, 275 Hayakita-Genbu, Abira-cho, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido 059-1432, Japan.
- Laboratory of Veterinary Virology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyoudai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan.
MeSH Terms
- Acyclovir / therapeutic use
- Animals
- Exanthema / veterinary
- Female
- Herpesviridae Infections / drug therapy
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid
- Herpesvirus 3, Equid
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Japan
- Male
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Vissani MA, Damiani AM, Barrandeguy ME. Equine Coital Exanthema: New Insights on the Knowledge and Leading Perspectives for Treatment and Prevention.. Pathogens 2021 Aug 20;10(8).
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