title: Detection and sequence analysis of equine gammaherpesviruses from horses with respiratory tract disease in Turkey.
abstract: The equid herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) and 5 (EHV-5), identified agents of respiratory infections and keratoconjunctivitis cases in some equids, comprise a high degree of antigenic heterogeneity. Prevalence and genetic characterization of EHV-2 and EHV-5 strains from Turkey were investigated in this study. A total of 73 nasal swabs and 54 blood specimens were sampled from horses with respiratory tract diseases characterized by mucopurulent nasal discharge and occasional coughing. Overall, EHV-2- and EHV-5-specific DNA amplicons were obtained from 19.2% (14/73) and 21.9% (16/73) of horses tested by multiplex nested PCR. Sequences of EHV-2 and EHV-5 glycoprotein B (gB) gene were used in a phylogenetic analysis that included six EHV-2 and three EHV-5 isolates, which showed that the Turkish EHV-2 and EHV-5 strains have marked sequence divergence from European strains and from each other. Turkish EHV-2 isolates were divided into two distinct subdivisions, and a few isolates were located on a separate branch. This study provides the first epidemiological and phylogenetical report about EHV-2 and EHV-5 infections in Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Mustafa Kemal University Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Ataseven
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bilge-Dagalp
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Oguzoglu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karapinar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Güzel
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011817:Rabbits; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology