Viral load of equine herpesviruses 2 and 5 in nasal swabs of actively racing Standardbred trotters: Temporal relationship of shedding to clinical findings and poor performance.
Abstract: The equine gamma herpesviruses 2 and 5 (EHV-2 and -5) have frequently been observed in the equine population and until recently presumed low to nonpathogenic. However, recent reports linking presence of equine gamma herpesviruses with clinical signs of mild to severe lung disease, suggest that the role of these viruses in respiratory disease and poor performance syndrome is still unclear. Moreover, baseline data regarding the temporal pattern of shedding of EHV-2 and EHV-5 within stables and within individual actively racing horses have been lacking. In a prospective longitudinal study, we followed elite racing Standardbred trotters at monthly intervals for 13 months, to investigate whether the amount of EHV-2 and EHV-5 shedded in nasal secretions varied over time within and between individual horses. Sixty-six elite horses were investigated by analyzing nasal swabs and serum samples, a health check and evaluation of athletic performance monthly during the study period. Nasal swabs were analyzed with two newly developed qPCR assays for EHV-2 and EHV-5, respectively. Of 663 samples, 197 (30%) were positive for EHV-2 and 492 (74%) positive for EHV-5. Furthermore, 176 (27%) of the samples were positive for both EHV-2 and EHV-5 simultaneously. There was considerable variation in the amount and frequency of shedding of EHV-2 and EHV-5 within and between individual horses. Viral load varied seasonally, but neither EHV-2 nor EHV-5 viral peaks were associated with clinical respiratory disease and/or poor performance in racing Standardbred trotters.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2015-06-11 PubMed ID: 26093774DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.06.002Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research study investigates the shedding patterns of equine gamma herpesviruses 2 and 5 (EHV-2 and EHV-5) in racehorses and whether it contributes to respiratory ailments and poor performance, finding little correlation between viral shedding and observable clinical symptoms.
Objective of the Study
- The focal point of this study is to gain insight into the shedding patterns of two equine gamma herpesviruses, EHV-2, and EHV-5, and how they potentially contribute to respiratory diseases and negatively impact the performance of elite Standardbred trotters—racing horses.
- The researchers aim to fill the gap in data concerning the temporal pattern of viral shedding within racing horse stables and individual horses.
Methodology
- A cohort of 66 racing Standardbred trotters were subjected to monitoring over a period of 13 months, collecting nasal swabs and serum samples monthly for testing. Alongside this, the athletic performance of the horses was evaluated, and a health check was conducted.
- The nasal swab samples were analyzed via two qPCR assays specifically designed for EHV-2 and EHV-5 respectively.
Findings
- Out of 663 collected samples, 30% were EHV-2 positive, 74% were EHV-5 positive, and 27% tested positive for both simultaneously.
- There was significant variation observed in the amount and frequency of EHV-2 and EHV-5 shedding within individual horses, and across different horses, but the load fluctuated seasonally.
Conclusion
- Despite the high frequency of EHV-2 and EHV-5 shedding, no clear link was established between the peek viral load and the onset of respiratory ailments or a decrease in racing performance.
- This outcome suggests that the role of these two types of equine gamma herpesviruses in respiratory diseases and poor performance syndrome is less significant than previously thought, but the researchers insist further study is needed to confirm their findings.
Cite This Article
APA
Back H, Ullman K, Treiberg Berndtsson L, Riihimäki M, Penell J, Ståhl K, Valarcher JF, Pringle J.
(2015).
Viral load of equine herpesviruses 2 and 5 in nasal swabs of actively racing Standardbred trotters: Temporal relationship of shedding to clinical findings and poor performance.
Vet Microbiol, 179(3-4), 142-148.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.06.002 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: helena.back@sva.se.
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Virology, Immunobiology and Parasitology, National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Cohort Studies
- DNA, Viral / genetics
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesviridae Infections / virology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Longitudinal Studies
- Prospective Studies
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / virology
- Rhadinovirus / genetics
- Rhadinovirus / isolation & purification
- Seasons
- Viral Load
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Badr C, Souiai O, Arbi M, El Behi I, Essaied MS, Khosrof I, Benkahla A, Chabchoub A, Ghram A. Epidemiological and Phylogeographic Study of Equid Herpesviruses in Tunisia.. Pathogens 2022 Sep 5;11(9).
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