title: Isolation of equine herpesvirus-5 from blood mononuclear cells of a gelding.
abstract: Horses are commonly infected by herpesviruses, but isolation of equine herpesvirus-5 (EHV-5) has only infrequently been reported. We describe the isolation and characterization of a strain of EHV-5 from the blood mononuclear cells of a healthy adult horse in California. The virus was initially identified by EHV-5 specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and it caused lytic infection of cultured rabbit kidney cells only after repeated serial passage. Virions with characteristic herpesvirus morphology were readily demonstrated in cell culture lysate by transmission electron microscopy. A portion of the glycoprotein B gene of this strain of EHV-5 had 99% identity to the published EHV-5 sequence, and it was clearly distinguishable from other EHV (1-4) by virus-specific PCR assays. Prevalence of EHV-5 infection in a group of young racehorses was estimated at 64% using the EHV-5 specific PCR on nasopharyngeal secretions.
authors.affiliation: Equine Viral Disease Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Udeni B R
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Balasuriya
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Nordhausen
authors.forename: N James
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: MacLachlan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C121062:glycoprotein B, Equid herpesvirus 5