The Role of Viral Pathogens in Horse Respiratory Diseases: A Cytological and Molecular Approach Using Next-Generation Sequencing.
Abstract: (1) Background: Respiratory problems may be associated with pathogens among which viruses may play an important role in causing or promoting clinical signs. However, traditional diagnostic methods for equine infectious diseases, such as PCR, are limited to known pathogens and often miss rare or novel viruses. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing is a transformative method that allows the sequencing of all genomes present in a sample. Recent studies have used next-generation sequences to identify viral sequences in horses with unexplained respiratory symptoms, revealing potential links between viruses and respiratory problems. The aim of the study was to verify a relationship between respiratory diseases and the presence of viral agents through molecular analyses, applied to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from horses with history or presence of clinical signs of respiratory diseases. (2) Methods: A cohort of 14 horses was enrolled. All the subjects were submitted to a clinical assessment of the respiratory tract, thoracic ultrasound evaluation, respiratory tract endoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage. The latter one was used for cytological analysis, DNA and RNA extraction, and molecular biology analysis. (3) Results: No positive results were obtained in the molecular studies except for a sequence of 753 bp obtained by next-generation sequences, with complete homology to Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 strains. The samples were taken from a thoroughbred female horse aged 2 years old and referred for poor performance and sporadic cough at the beginning of the training session. (4) Conclusions: viral involvement may be not common in horses with respiratory diseases. We cannot exclude that the lack of virus detection may be due to the small sample size of the population included.
Publication Date: 2024-11-21 PubMed ID: 39682313PubMed Central: PMC11639461DOI: 10.3390/ani14233347Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research investigates the role of viral pathogens in respiratory diseases of horses using cytological analyses and next-generation sequencing methods. It suggests that while a viral involvement was detected in a single case, it might not be a common cause for equine respiratory diseases.
Background of the Study
- The research was initiated due to concerns about respiratory illnesses in horses and the possible roles viruses play in causing or exacerbating these conditions.
- Ordinary diagnostic methods such as PCR, while effective for known pathogens, often fail to identify rare or newly appearing viruses.
- Consequently, the researchers turned to a revolutionary technology known as metagenomic next-generation sequencing. This method permits the sequencing of all DNA present in a sample, thus potency of detecting both known and unknown viruses.
- Previous studies had employed next-gen sequencing to identify viral sequences in horses with undefined respiratory symptoms, thus suggesting potential connections between viruses and respiratory problems in horses.
Methodology of the Study
- A cohort of 14 horses was collected for the study.
- Each horse underwent a clinical respiratory tract assessment, a thoracic ultrasound evaluation, respiratory tract endoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage.
- The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was then used to conduct cytological analyses, extraction of DNA and RNA, and molecular biology analyses.
Results of the Study
- The Molecular studies generally didn’t yield positive results except for a single case.
- A sequence of 753 base pairs obtained through next-gen sequencing showed complete homology to Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 strains. This sample was taken from a two-year-old thoroughbred female horse which was referenced for poor performance and sporadic cough beginning at the training session.
Conclusions of the Study
- The conclusion drawn from the study’s results is that while viral involvement was detected in one case, it doesn’t appear to be a common factor in horse respiratory illnesses.
- However, the researchers considered the possibility that the small sample size may have impacted the ability to detect a wider prevalence of viral involvement in such diseases.
Cite This Article
APA
Mazzei M, Sorvillo B, Sgorbini M, Bindi F, Perelli A, Laus F.
(2024).
The Role of Viral Pathogens in Horse Respiratory Diseases: A Cytological and Molecular Approach Using Next-Generation Sequencing.
Animals (Basel), 14(23).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14233347 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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