[Veterinary recommendations for the handling of equine virus arteritis (EVA) in practical breeding care].

Equine Virus Arteritis (EVA) is a virus that affects horses and can cause various symptoms as well as abortions among pregnant mares. This virus also affects sexually mature stallions differently, potentially leading to restrictions on their use in breeding especially artificial insemination. This research focuses on recommendations for handling EVA within horse breeding, highlighting the role of stallions as major spreaders of the virus and advocating for use of specific vaccination strategies.

Equine Virus Arteritis – An Introduction

• EVA, or equine virus arteritis, is an epidemic virus spread among different breeds of horses in various countries. Its typical clinical manifestations, including its capability to cause abortions, haven’t given it major veterinary significance so far.
• However, the unique susceptibility of sexually mature stallions to EAV, equine arteritis virus, exhibits diverse infection outcomes which can potentially limit their usefulness in natural breeding, particularly for artificial insemination.

Stallions – Major Spreaders of EAV

• In a significant, albeit unpredictable, percentage of stallions, EAV infections result in transient or permanent virus presence within their genital tract’s accessory apparatus.
• This leads to either temporary or permanent shedding of the virus through their seminal secretions, thus making stallions the primary propagator of the virus in the field.

Risks Associated with using EAV Shedding Stallions

• The utilisation of stallions shedding the EAV in natural breeding or artificial insemination is highly risky.
• However, it can be justified under certain conditions, such as when the mares are already EAV-seropositive (have antibodies against EAV) or vaccinated.

Promoting Vaccination for Disease Defeat

• Eradication of the disease can be progressively achieved through vaccination of seronegative stallions (those not previously exposed to the virus) with dead or inactivated live vaccines.
• Vaccination is considered effective in preventing the establishment of EAV-shedder status in stallions, thus it is a major strategy in controlling disease spread among the horses.