title: Age-dependent prevalence of equid herpesvirus 5 infection.
abstract: Equid herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) infection was detected in a farm in Italy by the use of a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting glycoprotein B of EHV-5 on nasal swabs and blood samples of clinically healthy and randomly selected Lipizzaner horses (n = 55). Twenty-five horses at the age of 4-17 years and 30 at an age of 1-3 years were sampled once. The association of the infection with these age-groups and the gender of the horses was investigated. The apparent prevalence of EHV-5 infection was significantly different between age-cohorts: it was higher in the younger group of horses with 73,3% and 80% positives in nasal swabs and blood respectively, compared to 40% of nasal swabs and 20% of blood in the older horses. An age-dependence therefore was observed: the young age is more frequently associated with EHV-5 infection.
authors.affiliation: Sports Horse Research Centre, Department of Experimental Science and Applied Biotechnology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, via S. Costanzo 4, 06126, Perugia, Italy. marialuisa.marenzoni@unipg.it
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marenzoni
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maranesi
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Passamonti
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cappelli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capomaccio
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verini Supplizi
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coletti
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; 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