Prevalence of asinine herpesvirus type 5 (AsHV-5) infection in clinically normal Lipizzaner horses.
The aim of this study was to assess the extent of asinine herpesvirus (AsHV) type 5 infection in 'closed' populations of clinically normal Lipizzaner horses. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells plus nasal and conjunctival swabs were obtained on four occasions over an 18 month period from 266 animals as part of a health surveillance programme. Sequence analysis of samples that were positive by nested consensus herpesvirus PCR but negative using quantified equid herpesvirus (EHV) type 2 and 5 PCR, revealed a total of 51 samples from 39 horses positive for AsHV-5. No statistically significant association between animal age, gender or geographical location and infection status was identified. The findings suggest sub-clinical AsHV-5 infection may be encountered more frequently than previously reported.
Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; Clinic for Surgery, Dentistry and Ophthalmology, Department of Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
James Oliver
JO
Rushton
Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Jolanta
J
Kolodziejek
Clinic for Surgery, Dentistry and Ophthalmology, Department of Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Barbara
B
Nell
Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Electronic address: Norbert.Nowotny@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Norbert
N
Nowotny
D000818:Animals; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009666:Nose / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D014764:Viral Proteins
Asinine herpesvirus (AsHV) type 5; Equid gammaherpesviruses; Horse; Lipizzaner