The effects of equine rhinovirus, influenza virus and herpesvirus infection on tracheal clearance rate in horses.
Abstract: The response of horses exposed to three common respiratory viruses was studied by measuring tracheal mucociliary clearance rates in the trachea. Tracheal clearance rates (TCR) were determined before, during illness and following recovery in horses exposed to equine rhinovirus (ERhV-2), equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine herpesvirus (EHV-4) by means of lateral scintigraphs made following an injection of technetium-99m sulphide colloid into the tracheal lumen. In six horses exposed to ERhV-2, TCR remained within normal limits. Exposure to EIV resulted in reduced TCR in six of seven horses, with TCR remaining below the 95% confidence limits of normal values for each horse for up to 32 days despite the resolution of clinical signs. Moderate changes were observed in six horses exposed to EHV-4, but significant reductions in TCR were evident in three animals. Measurement of TCR was a useful, minimally-invasive technique which demonstrated that respiratory viruses may cause persistent changes in TCR, even though clinical signs are not evident.
Publication Date: 1992-04-01 PubMed ID: 1317244PubMed Central: PMC1263518
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research examines how common respiratory viruses—equine rhinovirus, equine influenza virus, and equine herpesvirus—affect the tracheal clearance rate in horses, using a less intrusive method of assessment, termed tracheal mucociliary clearance rates.
Methodology
- The researchers focused on the tracheal mucociliary clearance rates (TCR), represented by the movement of mucus in the trachea, a significant defense mechanism in protection against respiratory tract infections.
- TCR was measured in horses before, during, and after they were exposed to the three respiratory viruses—Equine Rhinovirus (ERhV-2), Equine Influenza Virus (EIV), and Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-4).
- The assessment was done using lateral scintigraphs, created after injecting a specific radioactive substance known as technetium-99m sulphide colloid into the tracheal lumen of the horses. This substance helps illuminate the trachea for later imaging.
Findings
- In the six horses infected with ERhV-2, the TCR remained normal. This suggests that ERhV-2 does not impair tracheal clearance in horses.
- The EIV-infected horses (six out of seven) displayed a reduced TCR for up to 32 days, despite showing no clinical symptoms. This implies that EIV can reduce the efficiency of tracheal clearance even after recovery from clinical signs.
- EHV-4 infection led to a moderate change in the TCR of six horses, with significant reductions in three cases. Like EIV, EHV-4 seems to impact the tracheal clearance rate as well.
Conclusion
- The research shows that the effect of these viruses on a vital defence mechanism of the respiratory tract can still be present even after the resolution of observable symptoms.
- The study therefore proposes that TCR measurement is an effective, minimally invasive technique for assessing the lingering effects of common respiratory viruses in equines.
Cite This Article
APA
Willoughby R, Ecker G, McKee S, Riddolls L, Vernaillen C, Dubovi E, Lein D, Mahony JB, Chernesky M, Nagy E.
(1992).
The effects of equine rhinovirus, influenza virus and herpesvirus infection on tracheal clearance rate in horses.
Can J Vet Res, 56(2), 115-121.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Research Centre, University of Guelph, Ontario.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Female
- Herpesviridae / immunology
- Herpesviridae / isolation & purification
- Herpesviridae / physiology
- Herpesviridae Infections / physiopathology
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Influenza A virus / immunology
- Influenza A virus / isolation & purification
- Influenza A virus / physiology
- Male
- Mucociliary Clearance
- Nasopharynx / microbiology
- Neutralization Tests
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / physiopathology
- Orthomyxoviridae Infections / veterinary
- Picornaviridae / immunology
- Picornaviridae / isolation & purification
- Picornaviridae / physiology
- Picornaviridae Infections / physiopathology
- Picornaviridae Infections / veterinary
- Trachea / physiopathology
References
This article includes 5 references
- Willoughby RA, Ecker GL, McKee SL, Riddolls LJ. Use of scintigraphy for the determination of mucociliary clearance rates in normal, sedated, diseased and exercised horses.. Can J Vet Res 1991 Oct;55(4):315-20.
- Mumford JA, Hannant D, Jessett DM. Experimental infection of ponies with equine influenza (H3N8) viruses by intranasal inoculation or exposure to aerosols.. Equine Vet J 1990 Mar;22(2):93-8.
- Camner P, Jarstrand C, Philipson K. Tracheobronchial clearance in patients with influenza.. Am Rev Respir Dis 1973 Jul;108(1):131-5.
- Sasaki Y, Togo Y, Wagner HN Jr, Hornick RB, Schwartz AR, Proctor DF. Mucociliary function during experimentally induced rhinovirus infection in man.. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1973 Mar-Apr;82(2):203-11.
- Gerrard CS, Levandowski RA, Gerrity TR, Yeates DB, Klein E. The effects of acute respiratory virus infection upon tracheal mucous transport.. Arch Environ Health 1985 Nov-Dec;40(6):322-5.
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Whitlock F, Murcia PR, Newton JR. A Review on Equine Influenza from a Human Influenza Perspective. Viruses 2022 Jun 15;14(6).
- Rossi TM, Milwid RM, Moore A, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL. Descriptive network analysis of a Standardbred horse training facility contact network: Implications for disease transmission. Can Vet J 2020 Aug;61(8):853-859.
- Chambers TM. Equine Influenza. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2022 Jan 4;12(1).
- Back H, Weld J, Walsh C, Cullinane A. Equine Rhinitis A Virus Infection in Thoroughbred Racehorses-A Putative Role in Poor Performance?. Viruses 2019 Oct 18;11(10).
- Rossi TM, Moore A, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL. Equine Rhinitis A Virus Infection at a Standardbred Training Facility: Incidence, Clinical Signs, and Risk Factors for Clinical Disease. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:71.
- Muranaka M, Yamanaka T, Katayama Y, Niwa H, Oku K, Matsumura T, Oyamada T. Time-related Pathological Changes in Horses Experimentally Inoculated with Equine Influenza A Virus. J Equine Sci 2012;23(2):17-26.
- Gildea S, Fitzpatrick DA, Cullinane A. Epidemiological and virological investigations of equine influenza outbreaks in Ireland (2010-2012). Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2013 Dec;7 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):61-72.
- Lu Z, Timoney PJ, White J, Balasuriya UB. Development of one-step TaqMan® real-time reverse transcription-PCR and conventional reverse transcription-PCR assays for the detection of equine rhinitis A and B viruses. BMC Vet Res 2012 Jul 25;8:120.
- Diaz-Mendez A, Viel L, Hewson J, Doig P, Carman S, Chambers T, Tiwari A, Dewey C. Surveillance of equine respiratory viruses in Ontario. Can J Vet Res 2010 Oct;74(4):271-8.
- Black WD, Hartley CA, Ficorilli NP, Studdert MJ. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for the detection equine rhinitis B viruses and cell culture isolation of the virus. Arch Virol 2007 Jan;152(1):137-49.
- Barrs VR, Allan GS, Martin P, Beatty JA, Malik R. Feline pyothorax: a retrospective study of 27 cases in Australia. J Feline Med Surg 2005 Aug;7(4):211-22.
- Sutton GA, Viel L, Carman PS, Boag BL. Study of the duration and distribution of equine influenza virus subtype 2 (H3N8) antigens in experimentally infected ponies in vivo. Can J Vet Res 1997 Apr;61(2):113-20.
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