Viruses associated with respiratory disease of horses in New Zealand: an update.

The research article provides an update of the respiratory viruses found in horses in New Zealand, highlighting the prevalence of different viruses uncovered through a serological survey of 121 horses affected by respiratory diseases.

Research Objectives and Overview

In this research, two major objectives were pursued:

• To present a review of viruses that are causing or associated with respiratory diseases in horses across the globe.
• To present the results from a serological study of 121 foals and horses in New Zealand that had been affected by respiratory illnesses, with the aim of determining the prevalence of antibodies related to the major viruses associated with similar diseases abroad.

Major Findings

The research discovered the following:

• There is no evidence of equine influenza virus in New Zealand.
• High serological prevalences were observed for both equine herpesvirus type 1 and 2, indicating their common occurrence.
• There was significant serological evidence of equine rhinovirus type 1 and type 2. The prevalence was observed to be 12.3% and 41.2% in foal sera, and 37.7% and 84.9% in adult horse sera respectively.
• Antibodies reacting to equine viral arteritis virus antigen were detected in three out of the 121 tested sera.
• Equine adenovirus was occasionally isolated and showed a 39% serological prevalence in a separate study reviewed.

Implications and Discussion

The article further discusses the implications of these findings, with a special focus on progress in equine virus research in New Zealand. Since the equine influenza virus has not been detected in New Zealand, the serological prevalences of equine herpesvirus type 1, type 2, and rhinovirus types could provide important information for the development of treatment and prevention strategies for diseases in horses caused by these viruses. The presence of antibodies reacting to equine viral arteritis virus antigen in a few instances suggests the need for further study on its prevalence and potential impact. The occasional isolation and high serological prevalence of the equine adenovirus also shows it is fairly common, indicating a need for continued surveillance and research into ways to manage and treat it.