title: Antibodies against equine herpesviruses in free-ranging mountain zebras from Namibia.
abstract: Twenty-one blood samples of free-ranging mountain zebras (Equus zebra) from Namibia were tested for equine herpesvirus (EHV-1, -2, -3, -4) specific antibodies by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and neutralization test (NT). Additionally, type-specific nested polymerase chain reactions (nested PCR) were employed for detection of EHV-1, -2 and -4 DNA. Equine herpesvirus-1 antibodies were detected by IFA in all zebras, while only seven serum samples contained EHV-4 IFA antibodies. Sera with high IFA antibodies also were found to neutralize EHV-1 and -4. Furthermore, 20 zebras were EHV-2 seropositive by IFA, and one zebra had EHV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Equine herpesvirus-3 specific antibodies were not detected. We did not amplify EHV-1, -2 or -4 specific DNA sequences in peripheral blood leukocytes of the same zebras using type-specific nested PCR. EHV infections appear to be widespread in free-ranging zebras, as they are in domestic horses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Free University Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borchers
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frölich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018397:Equidae; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D009276:Namibia / Q000453:epidemiology; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D018140:Varicellovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral