FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(3); 894; doi: 10.3390/ani11030894

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Exposure to Equine Coronavirus in Apparently Healthy Horses in Israel.

Abstract: Equine coronavirus (ECoV) infection is the cause of an emerging enteric disease of adult horses. Outbreaks have been reported in the USA, EU and Japan, as well as sporadic cases in the UK and Saudi Arabia. Infection of ECoV in horses in Israel has never been reported, and the risk of exposure is unknown. Importation and exportation of horses from and into Israel may have increased the exposure of horses in Israel to ECoV. While the disease is mostly self-limiting, with or without supportive treatment, severe complications may occur in some animals, and healthy carriers may pose a risk of infection to other horses. This study was set to evaluate the risk of exposure to ECoV of horses in Israel by using a previously validated, S1-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 41 out of 333 horses (12.3%) were seropositive. Exposure to ECoV was detected in 17 of 29 farms (58.6%) and the seroprevalence varied between 0 and 37.5% amongst farms. The only factor found to be significantly associated with ECoV exposure in the multivariable model was the geographical area ( < 0.001). ECoV should be included in the differential diagnosis list of pathogens in cases of adult horses with anorexia, lethargy, fever and gastrointestinal signs in Israel.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2021-03-21 PubMed ID: 33800990PubMed Central: PMC8004030DOI: 10.3390/ani11030894Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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.

This research serves to examine the risk exposure of horses in Israel to Equine Coronavirus (ECoV), a disease more prevalent in adult horses which was previously unreported in Israel. The study utilized a reliable method (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) to identify infected horses, with the results showing a 12.3% occurence in the sample size.

Introduction

  • The study analyzes the incidence and potential risk factors for Equine Coronavirus (ECoV) in horses in Israel. ECoV, an enteric disease prevalent in adult horses, has caused outbreaks in various locations globally yet no known cases were documented in Israel.
  • As Israel involvement in horse importation and exportation has increased, researchers hypothesized an augmented risk of ECoV exposure amongst horses in the country.

Methods

  • The researchers utilized a verified diagnostic method called S1-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which helps identify the presence of antibodies against ECoV in horse blood samples.
  • The study sample comprised 333 horses from 29 different farms. The analysis assessed the geographic area as a potential influencing factor on ECoV exposure.

Findings

  • Out of the total horses sampled, 41 horses (12.3%) tested positive for ECoV antibodies.
  • The disease exposure rate varied vastly amongst farms, ranging from 0 to 37.5%.
  • 17 out of the 29 farms (58.6%) reported cases of ECoV.
  • The multivariable model of analysis identified the geographical area as the only significant factor associated with ECoV exposure, which stands less than 0.001, an exceedingly low level often associated with high statistical significance.

Implications

  • The research concludes that ECoV should be considered in the differential diagnosis list for adult horses in Israel, showing symptoms such as anorexia, lethargy, fever, and digestive issues.
  • Although the disease is often self-limiting and may not necessitate treatment, severe complications can occur, and uninfected horses may be at risk due to the presence of healthy carriers in their vicinity.

Cite This Article

APA
Schvartz G, Tirosh-Levy S, Barnum S, David D, Sol A, Pusterla N, Steinman A. (2021). Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Exposure to Equine Coronavirus in Apparently Healthy Horses in Israel. Animals (Basel), 11(3), 894. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030894

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 3
PII: 894

Researcher Affiliations

Schvartz, Gili
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
  • Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan 50250, Israel.
Tirosh-Levy, Sharon
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
Barnum, Samantha
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
David, Dan
  • Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan 50250, Israel.
Sol, Asaf
  • Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan 50250, Israel.
Pusterla, Nicola
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Steinman, Amir
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.

Grant Funding

  • 2018-70-KG / School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
  • 2018-70-KG / The Center for Companion Animal Health (CCAH), UC Davis & The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine (KSVM)

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 26 references
  1. Zhang J, Guy JS, Snijder EJ, Denniston DA, Timoney PJ, Balasuriya UB. Genomic characterization of equine coronavirus.. Virology 2007 Dec 5;369(1):92-104.
    doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2007.06.035pmc: PMC7103287pubmed: 17706262google scholar: lookup
  2. Krishnamoorthy S, Swain B, Verma RS, Gunthe SS. SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and 2019-nCoV viruses: an overview of origin, evolution, and genetic variations.. Virusdisease 2020 Dec;31(4):411-423.
    doi: 10.1007/s13337-020-00632-9pmc: PMC7567416pubmed: 33102628google scholar: lookup
  3. Pusterla N, Mapes S, Wademan C, White A, Ball R, Sapp K, Burns P, Ormond C, Butterworth K, Bartol J, Magdesian KG. Emerging outbreaks associated with equine coronavirus in adult horses.. Vet Microbiol 2013 Feb 22;162(1):228-31.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.10.014pmc: PMC7117461pubmed: 23123176google scholar: lookup
  4. Hemida MG, Chu DKW, Perera RAPM, Ko RLW, So RTY, Ng BCY, Chan SMS, Chu S, Alnaeem AA, Alhammadi MA, Webby RJ, Poon LLM, Balasuriya UBR, Peiris M. Coronavirus infections in horses in Saudi Arabia and Oman.. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017 Dec;64(6):2093-2103.
    doi: 10.1111/tbed.12630pmc: PMC7169745pubmed: 28296228google scholar: lookup
  5. Wilson JH, Cudd T. Common gastrointestinal diseases. In: Koterba A.M., Drummond W.H., Kosch P.C., editors. Equine Clinical Neonatology. Lea & Febiger; Philadelphia, PA, USA: 1990. pp. 412–430.
  6. Miszczak F, Tesson V, Kin N, Dina J, Balasuriya UB, Pronost S, Vabret A. First detection of equine coronavirus (ECoV) in Europe.. Vet Microbiol 2014 Jun 25;171(1-2):206-9.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2014.03.031pmc: PMC7117151pubmed: 24768449google scholar: lookup
  7. Oue Y, Ishihara R, Edamatsu H, Morita Y, Yoshida M, Yoshima M, Hatama S, Murakami K, Kanno T. Isolation of an equine coronavirus from adult horses with pyrogenic and enteric disease and its antigenic and genomic characterization in comparison with the NC99 strain.. Vet Microbiol 2011 May 12;150(1-2):41-8.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.01.004pmc: PMC7117184pubmed: 21273011google scholar: lookup
  8. Giannitti F, Diab S, Mete A, Stanton JB, Fielding L, Crossley B, Sverlow K, Fish S, Mapes S, Scott L, Pusterla N. Necrotizing Enteritis and Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy Associated With Equine Coronavirus Infection in Equids.. Vet Pathol 2015 Nov;52(6):1148-56.
    doi: 10.1177/0300985814568683pubmed: 25648965google scholar: lookup
  9. Kooijman LJ, James K, Mapes SM, Theelen MJ, Pusterla N. Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with equine coronavirus in healthy horses in the USA.. Vet J 2017 Feb;220:91-94.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.01.007pmc: PMC7110631pubmed: 28190504google scholar: lookup
  10. Oue Y, Morita Y, Kondo T, Nemoto M. Epidemic of equine coronavirus at Obihiro Racecourse, Hokkaido, Japan in 2012.. J Vet Med Sci 2013;75(9):1261-5.
    doi: 10.1292/jvms.13-0056pubmed: 23648375google scholar: lookup
  11. Sanz MG, Kwon S, Pusterla N, Gold JR, Bain F, Evermann J. Evaluation of equine coronavirus fecal shedding among hospitalized horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):918-922.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.15449pmc: PMC6430884pubmed: 30788861google scholar: lookup
  12. Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger CM, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Enteric coronavirus infection in adult horses.. Vet J 2018 Jan;231:13-18.
    doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.11.004pmc: PMC7110460pubmed: 29429482google scholar: lookup
  13. Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger C, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Equine coronavirus: An emerging enteric virus of adult horses.. Equine Vet Educ 2016 Apr;28(4):216-223.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.12453pmc: PMC7163714pubmed: 32313392google scholar: lookup
  14. Goodrich EL, Mittel LD, Glaser A, Ness SL, Radcliffe RM, Divers TJ. Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York.. Equine Vet Educ 2020 Mar;32(3):150-154.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.12938pmc: PMC7163602pubmed: 32313400google scholar: lookup
  15. Fielding CL, Higgins JK, Higgins JC, McIntosh S, Scott E, Giannitti F, Mete A, Pusterla N. Disease associated with equine coronavirus infection and high case fatality rate.. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):307-10.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.12480pmc: PMC4858071pubmed: 25319406google scholar: lookup
  16. Kooijman LJ, Mapes SM, Pusterla N. Development of an equine coronavirus-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine serologic responses in naturally infected horses.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2016 Jul;28(4):414-8.
    doi: 10.1177/1040638716649643pubmed: 27216723google scholar: lookup
  17. Zhao S, Smits C, Schuurman N, Barnum S, Pusterla N, Kuppeveld FV, Bosch BJ, Maanen KV, Egberink H. Development and Validation of a S1 Protein-Based ELISA for the Specific Detection of Antibodies against Equine Coronavirus.. Viruses 2019 Nov 30;11(12).
    doi: 10.3390/v11121109pmc: PMC6950238pubmed: 31801275google scholar: lookup
  18. David D, Rotenberg D, Khinich E, Erster O, Bardenstein S, van Straten M, Okba NMA, Raj SV, Haagmans BL, Miculitzki M, Davidson I. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus specific antibodies in naturally exposed Israeli llamas, alpacas and camels.. One Health 2018 Jun;5:65-68.
    doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2018.05.002pmc: PMC6000904pubmed: 29911167google scholar: lookup
  19. Friedman N, Alter H, Hindiyeh M, Mendelson E, Shemer Avni Y, Mandelboim M. Human Coronavirus Infections in Israel: Epidemiology, Clinical Symptoms and Summer Seasonality of HCoV-HKU1.. Viruses 2018 Sep 21;10(10).
    doi: 10.3390/v10100515pmc: PMC6213580pubmed: 30241410google scholar: lookup
  20. Balaish M. [(accessed on 1 February 2021)]; Available online: https://www.moag.gov.il/vet/dochot-shnatiim/Documents/doch_shnati_2019.pdf. (In Hebrew)
  21. Pusterla N, James K, Mapes S, Bain F. Frequency of molecular detection of equine coronavirus in faeces and nasal secretions in 277 horses with acute onset of fever.. Vet Rec 2019 Mar 23;184(12):385.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.104919pubmed: 30850426google scholar: lookup
  22. Haake C, Cook S, Pusterla N, Murphy B. Coronavirus Infections in Companion Animals: Virology, Epidemiology, Clinical and Pathologic Features.. Viruses 2020 Sep 13;12(9).
    doi: 10.3390/v12091023pmc: PMC7551689pubmed: 32933150google scholar: lookup
  23. Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger C, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Equine Coronavirus Infection. Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases of Livestock. Springer International Publishing; New York, NY, USA: 2017. pp. 121–132.
    doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-47426-7google scholar: lookup
  24. Nemoto M, Kanno T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kokado H. Antibody response to equine coronavirus in horses inoculated with a bovine coronavirus vaccine.. J Vet Med Sci 2017 Nov 17;79(11):1889-1891.
    doi: 10.1292/jvms.17-0414pmc: PMC5709570pubmed: 28993568google scholar: lookup
  25. Balaish M. [(accessed on 1 February 2021)]; Available online: https://www.moag.gov.il/vet/dochot-shnatiim/Documents/doch_shnati_2016-2018.pdf. (In Hebrew)
  26. Meyer B, Drosten C, Müller MA. Serological assays for emerging coronaviruses: challenges and pitfalls.. Virus Res 2014 Dec 19;194:175-83.
    doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2014.03.018pmc: PMC7114385pubmed: 24670324google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Steinman A, Erster O, Tirosh-Levy S. Virus Infection in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 8;12(8).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12080957pubmed: 35454204google scholar: lookup
  2. Qi PF, Gao XY, Ji JK, Zhang Y, Yang SH, Cheng KH, Cui N, Zhu ML, Hu T, Dong X, Yan B, Wang CF, Yang HJ, Shi WF, Zhang W. Identification of a recombinant equine coronavirus in donkey, China. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022 Dec;11(1):1010-1013.
    doi: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2056522pubmed: 35311478google scholar: lookup
  3. Shehata AA, Attia YA, Rahman MT, Basiouni S, El-Seedi HR, Azhar EI, Khafaga AF, Hafez HM. Diversity of Coronaviruses with Particular Attention to the Interspecies Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 4;12(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12030378pubmed: 35158701google scholar: lookup
  4. Ricci I, Rosone F, Pacchiarotti G, Manna G, Cersini A, Carvelli A, La Rocca D, Cammalleri E, Giordani R, Tofani S, Conti R, Rombolà P, Nardini R, Minniti CA, Caforio R, Linardi B, Scicluna MT. Pegiviruses and Coronavirus: Biomolecular Prevalence and Phylogenetic Analysis of Strains Detected in Italian Horse Populations. Viruses 2025 Aug 2;17(8).
    doi: 10.3390/v17081076pubmed: 40872790google scholar: lookup
  5. 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.
    doi: 10.1080/01652176.2023.2288876pubmed: 38010292google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,824 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.