The molecular epidemiology of equine herpesvirus 1 (equine abortion virus) in Australasia 1975 to 1989.
Abstract: The restriction endonuclease DNA fingerprints of 57 isolates of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1; equine abortion virus) from abortion, perinatal foal mortalities and encephalitis from 15 epidemics that occurred in Australasia between 1975 and 1989 were examined using the enzymes Bam HI, EcoRI and Bgl II. There was a remarkable degree of uniformity in the restriction patterns; mobility differences were observed in only 14 of 52 (27%) of the fragments. Twelve of these 14 fragments were located within the repeat structures that bracket the unique short region of the genome or were located at the left terminus of the 150 kilobase pair genome. Based on the Bam HI fingerprints the commonest virus identified in our study was EHV1.IP (P is for prototype strain). There was a single notable exception in that the Bam HI fingerprints of all 8 isolates from one of 3 Victorian farms that experienced abortion in 1989 resembled a variant EHV1.IB that was identified as a cause of abortion in Central Kentucky in 1970 to 1974. We present evidence that EHV1.IB caused abortion in California in 1964 and has remained unaltered in its Bam HI restriction pattern. No antigenic differences were found among 4 distantly related EHV1 isolates, including the variant IB, using a panel of 5 monoclonal antibodies to glycoprotein C (gC), a glycoprotein recognised to be highly variable. The uniformity of these unrelated EHV1 isolates is further evidence for a recent origin for EHV1 and may help to explain the natural history of this virus in the horse in which it seems to be a cause of serious epidemics of abortion and perinatal mortality, and less commonly of encephalitis.
Publication Date: 1992-05-01 PubMed ID: 1320856DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1992.tb07462.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article discusses the investigation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1), associated with serious epidemics of abortion and perinatal mortality among horses, by examining its molecular characteristics from various outbreaks in Australasia from 1975 to 1989.
Methodology
- The researchers examined the DNA fingerprints of 57 isolates of EHV1 from 15 separate epidemics, using restriction endonuclease enzymes Bam HI, EcoRI and Bgl II.
- The isolates were derived from equine abortion cases, perinatal foal mortalities and encephalitis cases.
Findings
- A remarkable degree of uniformity was found in the patterns of the DNA sequences with mobility differences seen in only 14 of 52 (27%) of the DNA fragments examined.
- Most of these fragments were located within the repeat structures that bracket the unique short region of the genome or were located at the left terminus of the 150 kilobase pair genome.
- By comparing the resultant Bam HI fingerprints, the most commonly identified strain was EHV1.IP.
- An anomaly was found in the form of the DNA fingerprints of 8 isolates from one Victorian farm, which resembled a variant strain EHV1.IB, previously identified as the cause of abortion in Central Kentucky in the years 1970-74.
Conclusions
- The researchers present evidence to suggest that this variant, EHV1.IB, also caused equine abortion in California in 1964 and has maintained the same Bam HI restriction pattern.
- No antigenic differences were found between four distantly related EHV1 isolates, including the variant IB, when tested against a panel of 5 monoclonal antibodies to glycoprotein C (gC), a glycoprotein known to be highly variable.
- The uniformity of these unrelated EHV1 isolates, inferred from the consistency of their DNA fingerprints, is taken as further evidence that EHV1 is of recent origin, possibly providing insights into the virus’ natural history, and shedding light on its connection to serious epidemics of abortion and perinatal mortality among horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Studdert MJ, Crabb BS, Ficorilli N.
(1992).
The molecular epidemiology of equine herpesvirus 1 (equine abortion virus) in Australasia 1975 to 1989.
Aust Vet J, 69(5), 104-111.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1992.tb07462.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Virus Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria.
MeSH Terms
- Abortion, Veterinary / epidemiology
- Abortion, Veterinary / microbiology
- Animals
- Australia / epidemiology
- Blotting, Southern
- DNA Fingerprinting
- DNA, Viral / analysis
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Encephalitis / epidemiology
- Encephalitis / microbiology
- Encephalitis / veterinary
- Female
- Genetic Variation
- Herpesviridae Infections / epidemiology
- Herpesviridae Infections / microbiology
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid / classification
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid / genetics
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- New Zealand / epidemiology
- Pregnancy
- Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
- Restriction Mapping
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- 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.
- Nugent J, Birch-Machin I, Smith KC, Mumford JA, Swann Z, Newton JR, Bowden RJ, Allen GP, Davis-Poynter N. Analysis of equid herpesvirus 1 strain variation reveals a point mutation of the DNA polymerase strongly associated with neuropathogenic versus nonneuropathogenic disease outbreaks.. J Virol 2006 Apr;80(8):4047-60.
- Crabb BS, MacPherson CM, Reubel GH, Browning GF, Studdert MJ, Drummer HE. A type-specific serological test to distinguish antibodies to equine herpesviruses 4 and 1.. Arch Virol 1995;140(2):245-58.
- Crabb BS, Studdert MJ. Epitopes of glycoprotein G of equine herpesviruses 4 and 1 located near the C termini elicit type-specific antibody responses in the natural host.. J Virol 1993 Oct;67(10):6332-8.
- Ficorilli N, Studdert MJ, Crabb BS. The nucleotide sequence of asinine herpesvirus 3 glycoprotein G indicates that the donkey virus is closely related to equine herpesvirus 1.. Arch Virol 1995;140(9):1653-62.
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