Strain impact on equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) abortion models: viral loads in fetal and placental tissues and foals.
Abstract: Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) continues to cause both sporadic and epidemic abortions despite extensive vaccination. Lack of progress in the development of protective vaccines may be hindered by the lack of equine abortion models that employ contemporary EHV-1 strains. The objective of our experiments was to compare a contemporary EHV-1 strain with a previously described challenge strain, and to quantify EHV-1 loads in various maternal and fetal tissues. Infection experiments were performed in two groups of 7 pregnant pony mares at 270-290 days of gestation with a contemporary EHV-1 strain (University of Findlay 2003 isolate - OH03) or an EHV-1 strain isolated over 30 years ago, and previously described in abortion models (Ab4). All mares in both groups exhibited nasal viral shedding and viremia. Infection with OH03 resulted in 1/7 abortion and infection with Ab4 resulted in 5/7 abortions. In the OH03 challenge, placentas of foals delivered at term showed little detectable virus, while the aborted fetus expressed high levels of virus infection in the spleen and liver, lower levels in the lung and thymus, and lowest levels in the chorioallantois. After Ab4 challenge, high viral loads were detected in fetal and placental tissues in abortions. In the two normal deliveries, the chorioallantois contained virus levels comparable with the chorioallantois of aborted foals and both foals shed EHV-1 starting on day 4 of life, but were clinically healthy. Our results demonstrate the continued importance of strain selection for abortion models, and this study is the first report of viral load quantification using contemporary methods. Extremely high EHV-1 loads in decidua from abortions illustrate the infection risk posed to other horses.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-08-31 PubMed ID: 22944628DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.08.046Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research paper focuses on studying the impact of different strains of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), a virus known to cause abortions in horses, on various abortions models. It sheds light on the viral loads found in fetal and placental tissues and newborn foals, further emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate virus strains for creating effective models.
Objective and Experiment Method
- The research’s prime objective was to draw a comparison between a contemporary EHV-1 strain (University of Findlay 2003 isolate – OH03) and a previously studied challenge strain (Ab4), along with quantifying the levels of EHV-1 infection in different maternal and fetal tissues.
- The experiment was conducted in two groups of 7 pregnant pony mares at the gestation age of 270-290 days. Each group was infected with one of the two strains of the virus.
Observations and Findings
- All mares in both groups exhibited nasal viral shedding and viremia, i.e., the presence of the virus in the bloodstream.
- The infection caused by OH03 resulted in abortion in 1 out of 7 mares, while that caused by Ab4 resulted in 5 out of 7 abortions.
- Post OH03 challenge, the placenta of foals delivered at term showed negligible amounts of virus. However, the aborted fetus had high levels of virus in its spleen and liver, with reduced presence in the lung, thymus, and the chorioallantois.
- Post the Ab4 challenge, high viral loads were detected in the fetal and placental tissues of abortions. In the two normal deliveries, the virus levels in the chorioallantois were comparable to those of aborted foals. These foals started shedding EHV-1 from the 4th day of life but remained clinically healthy.
Implications, Importance, and Conclusion
- The observations underline the continuing importance of selecting the proper virus strains while creating abortion models, thereby advancing the development of effective vaccines.
- The research is the first to report viral load quantification using contemporary methods.
- The extremely high loads of EHV-1 found in decidua (the deep layer of the uterine lining which forms part of the placenta during pregnancy) from abortions indicate the potential risk of infection to other horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Gardiner DW, Lunn DP, Goehring LS, Chiang YW, Cook C, Osterrieder N, McCue P, Del Piero F, Hussey SB, Hussey GS.
(2012).
Strain impact on equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) abortion models: viral loads in fetal and placental tissues and foals.
Vaccine, 30(46), 6564-6572.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.08.046 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Abortion, Spontaneous / virology
- Abortion, Veterinary / virology
- Animal Structures / virology
- Animals
- Female
- Fetus / virology
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesviridae Infections / virology
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid / isolation & purification
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid / pathogenicity
- Horses
- Nasal Mucosa / virology
- Placenta / virology
- Pregnancy
- Viral Load
- Viremia / virology
- Virus Shedding
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ, Roberts HC, Padalino B, Pasquali P, Spoolder H, Ståhl K, Calvo AV, Viltrop A, Winckler C, Carvelli A, Paillot R, Broglia A, Kohnle L, Baldinelli F, Van der Stede Y. Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): infection with Equine Herpesvirus-1.. EFSA J 2022 Jan;20(1):e07036.
- Agerholm JS, Klas EM, Damborg P, Borel N, Pedersen HG, Christoffersen M. A Diagnostic Survey of Aborted Equine Fetuses and Stillborn Premature Foals in Denmark.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:740621.
- Stasiak K, Dunowska M, Rola J. Outbreak of equid herpesvirus 1 abortions at the Arabian stud in Poland.. BMC Vet Res 2020 Oct 6;16(1):374.
- Abas O, Abdo W, Kasem S, Alwazzan A, Saleh AG, Saleh IG, Fukushi H, Yanai T, Haridy M. Time Course-Dependent Study on Equine Herpes Virus 9-Induced Abortion in Syrian Hamsters.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Aug 7;10(8).
- Brown LJ, Brown G, Kydd J, Stout TAE, Schulman ML. Failure to detect equid herpesvirus types 1 and 4 DNA in placentae and healthy new-born Thoroughbred foals.. J S Afr Vet Assoc 2019 May 30;90(0):e1-e5.
- Holz CL, Sledge DG, Kiupel M, Nelli RK, Goehring LS, Soboll Hussey G. Histopathologic Findings Following Experimental Equine Herpesvirus 1 Infection of Horses.. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:59.
- Garvey M, Lyons R, Hector RD, Walsh C, Arkins S, Cullinane A. Molecular Characterisation of Equine Herpesvirus 1 Isolates from Cases of Abortion, Respiratory and Neurological Disease in Ireland between 1990 and 2017.. Pathogens 2019 Jan 15;8(1).
- Bryant NA, Wilkie GS, Russell CA, Compston L, Grafham D, Clissold L, McLay K, Medcalf L, Newton R, Davison AJ, Elton DM. Genetic diversity of equine herpesvirus 1 isolated from neurological, abortigenic and respiratory disease outbreaks.. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018 Jun;65(3):817-832.
- Stasiak K, Dunowska M, Hills SF, Rola J. Genetic characterization of equid herpesvirus type 1 from cases of abortion in Poland.. Arch Virol 2017 Aug;162(8):2329-2335.
- Zverev VV, Makarov OV, Khashukoeva AZ, Svitich OA, Dobrokhotova YE, Markova EA, Labginov PA, Khlinova SA, Shulenina EA, Gankovskaya LV. In vitro studies of the antiherpetic effect of photodynamic therapy.. Lasers Med Sci 2016 Jul;31(5):849-55.
- Walter J, Seeh C, Fey K, Bleul U, Osterrieder N. Clinical observations and management of a severe equine herpesvirus type 1 outbreak with abortion and encephalomyelitis.. Acta Vet Scand 2013 Mar 5;55(1):19.
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