Serum iron parameters and acute experimental EHV-1 infection in horses.

The study explores the relationship between serum iron (sFe) concentration and its effects on equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in horses. The research found that the concentration of serum iron decreases significantly post EHV-1 infection though noted that there was no significant difference in the iron levels among horses which developed neurologic disease and those which did not.

Objective of the Study

• The main aim of the research was to observe the response of serum iron (sFe) after infestation of EHV-1 infection in horses and to explore whether there are significant differences in serum iron concentrations between horses that developed neurologic disease post infection versus those that did not.

Methods

• The research involved 14 horses that were experimentally infected with EHV-1.
• The data were collected as part of a parallel dataset during a blinded experimental EHV-1 infection. The strain used for the experiment was the rAb4 strain of EHV-1.
• The parameters taken into consideration daily, for two weeks included temperature, neurologic score, the ratio of volume of red blood cells (packed cell volume or PCV), and sFe parameters (sFe concentration, % saturation, and total iron-binding capacity).
• The data analysis and evaluation were done using Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests with Bonferroni corrections.

Conclusions

• The study found that serum iron concentration decreases notably in a pattern after horses are infected with EHV-1.
• Interestingly, there was no considerable difference in serum iron concentration in horses that developed neurologic disease and those that did not, among the animals that were experimentally infected in the study.
• Therefore, tracking serum iron parameters may be beneficial in monitoring the clinical progression of viral infections such as EHV-1.