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Prevalence and pathology of equine parvovirus-hepatitis in racehorses from New York racetracks.
Abstract: Theiler's disease, a.k.a. equine serum hepatitis, is a devastating, highly fatal disease of horses. Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) has been identified as the likely cause of this disease. While the incidence of Theiler's disease is low, the prevalence of EqPV-H DNA in horses is high, with up to 37% in some regions, suggesting that subclinical or persistent infection is common. To determine the prevalence and pathogenicity of EqPV-H infection at New York racetracks, DNA was extracted from archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissues from racehorses submitted for necropsy to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center as part of the New York State Gaming Commission-Cornell University postmortem examination program. A total of 191 liver samples from horses between 2 and 13 years old were evaluated. Extracted DNA was tested for EqPV-H using PCR and gel electrophoresis. PCR-positive samples were further assessed for tissue morphology using histology and detection of viral nucleic acid using in situ hybridization. Forty-two samples were PCR positive (22%). Of those, 31 samples had positive viral nucleic acid hybridization in hepatocytes with 11 samples showing positive hybridization in necrotic hepatocytes associated with inflammatory cells, indicating active hepatitis. Both individual hepatocyte necrosis and hepatitis were positively associated with EqPV-H detection (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0005, respectively). These findings indicate that presence of EqPV-H in the liver and parvoviral-associated hepatitis are prevalent in racehorses from New York racetracks, thus warranting additional studies examining potential associations between EqPV-H infection and racehorse performance.
© 2022. The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2022-11-01 PubMed ID: 36320007PubMed Central: PMC9628030DOI: 10.1186/s12985-022-01901-3Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- N.I.H.
- Extramural
Summary
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The research suggests a common occurrence of equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) infections among New York racehorses, with a potential link to a serious equine disease — Theiler’s disease. Given that the virus was detected in a substantial number of horses, further studies are needed to investigate its impact on racehorse performance.
Introduction to Theiler’s Disease and EqPV-H
- Theiler’s disease, also known as equine serum hepatitis, is a rare but highly lethal disease that affects horses. The disease was typically associated with Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis (EqPV-H).
- Despite a low incidence of Theiler’s disease, the prevalence of EqPV-H DNA in horses is high, with some regions recording up to 37%, implying that subclinical or persistent infection is common.
Study Design
- To figure out the prevalence and pathogenicity of EqPV-H infection in New York’s racetracks, DNA was extracted from preserved liver tissues of racehorses which were sent for necropsy to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center. This was part of the collaboration between the New York State Gaming Commission and Cornell University.
- A total of 191 liver samples from horses between 2 and 13 years old were examined, and the DNA was tested for EqPV-H using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and gel electrophoresis.
Findings
- Out of the total samples, 42 were found to be PCR positive, constituting 22% of the total samples. Moreover, 31 out of these 42 samples had positive viral nucleic acid hybridization in the liver cells, with 11 samples showing positive hybridization in necrotic liver cells along with inflammatory cells. These findings indicated an occurrence of active hepatitis.
- The results of the study show a positive connection between the detection of EqPV-H and both individual hepatocyte necrosis and hepatitis.
Conclusions
- These findings point out that EqPV-H presence and parvoviral-associated hepatitis are common among racehorses in New York racetracks.
- Given this high prevalence, the authors call for additional studies to further explore the possible link between EqPV-H infection and its potential impact on the performance of racehorses.
Cite This Article
APA
Jager MC, Tomlinson JE, Henry CE, Fahey MJ, Van de Walle GR.
(2022).
Prevalence and pathology of equine parvovirus-hepatitis in racehorses from New York racetracks.
Virol J, 19(1), 175.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-022-01901-3 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA. grv23@cornell.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Animals
- Prevalence
- New York
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Hepatitis, Viral, Animal
- Parvovirus
- Parvovirinae
- Hepatitis
Grant Funding
- K08 AI141767 / NIAID NIH HHS
- T32ODO011000 / NIH HHS
- K08AI141767 / NIH HHS
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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