The prevalence of latent Equid herpesviruses in the tissues of 40 abattoir horses.
Equid herpesviruses 1 or 4 (EHV-1 or -4) were isolated by cocultivation from 60% of 40 horses examined at slaughter. The lymph nodes draining the respiratory tract were the most common source of virus. EHV-1 or EHV-4 was never isolated from the trigeminal ganglia (SLG). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected virus in 87.5% of bronchial lymph nodes and a similar level in the trigeminal ganglia that were examined. By both assays approximately one third of the positive animals harboured both viruses. Equid herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) was isolated from all but one of the horses and from > 75% of the lymph nodes draining the respiratory tract; alpha viruses were isolated only in the presence of EHV-2. The results indicate that latent EHV-1 and EHV-4 are widespread in the equine population and that the primary site of latency is the lymph nodes of the respiratory tract.
Edington
N
N
Department of Pathology and Infectious Disease, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK.
Welch
H M
HM
Griffiths
L
L
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D017735:Virus Latency
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004279:DNA, Viral