Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus infection in a horse from California.
A yearling quarter horse, which was raised in southern California, received routine vaccinations for prevention of infection by Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV). One week later, severe neurologic signs developed, and the horse was humanely destroyed. A vaccine-related encephalomyelitis was later suspected. A final diagnosis of EEEV infection was established on the basis of acute onset of the neurologic signs, histopathologic and serologic testing, and isolation and molecular characterization of EEEV from brain tissue. The vaccine was extensively tested for viral inactivation. Nucleotide sequences from the vaccine and the virus isolated in the affected horse were also compared. In California, arboviral encephalomyelitides are rarely reported, and EEEV infection has not previously been documented. This report describes the occurrence of EEEV infection in the horse and the investigation to determine the source of infection, which was not definitively identified.
Franklin
Robert P
RP
Humphrey, Giacopuzzi & Associates Equine Hospital, Somis, CA, USA. franklinr@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu
Kinde
Hailu
H
Jay
Michele T
MT
Kramer
Laura D
LD
Green
Emily-Gene N
EG
Chiles
Robert E
RE
Ostlund
Eileen
E
Husted
Stan
S
Smith
Jonathan
J
Parker
Michael D
MD
D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D004663:Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine / Q000235:genetics; D004673:Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020242:Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D012367:RNA, Viral