Transmissibility from horses to humans of a novel paramyxovirus, equine morbillivirus (EMV).

This research paper examines the potential for a newly discovered paramyxovirus, the Equine Morbillivirus (EMV), to be transmitted from horses to humans and from one human to another. The study found that the risk of the virus transmission is relatively low, with all tests on people who were exposed to the virus coming out negative.

Research Context

• The research was initiated after two outbreaks in Queensland which involved 23 horses and three humans. These were cases of infections with a novel paramyxovirus, Equine Morbillivirus (EMV).
• Paramyxoviruses are a family of viruses which includes measles and mumps in humans and distemper in dogs.
• The researchers wanted to determine if the newly discovered EMV could be transmitted from horses to humans and further, from humans to humans. Hence, they conducted seroepidemiological testing using neutralizing and immunofluorescing antibodies on individuals who were exposed to infected horses and humans.

Methodology and Results

• The researchers performed seroepidemiological testing using neutralizing and immunofluorescing antibodies on people with variable levels of exposure to infected horses and humans.
• A total of 298 individuals who had some form of contact with the infected horses or humans were tested for EMV infection.
• The results showed that all serological tests were negative, indicating that none of the tested individuals had contracted the EMV.

Conclusions

• From the results, researchers inferred that the three human cases of EMV were probably infected as a result of very close contact with infected horses.
• Moreover, based on the negative serological tests for all 298 tested individuals, the study concluded that the chance of transmission either from horses or humans is very low. This suggests that the EMV is not easily transmissible between horse-human or human-human, despite instances of infection in closely associated individuals.