title: Viraemic frequencies and seroprevalence of non-primate hepacivirus and equine pegiviruses in horses and other mammalian species.
abstract: Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler's disease associated virus (TDAV) are newly discovered members of two genera in the Flaviviridae family, Hepacivirus and Pegivirus respectively, that include human hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human pegivirus (HPgV). To investigate their epidemiology, persistence and clinical features of infection, large cohorts of horses and other mammalian species were screened for NPHV, EPgV and TDAV viraemia and for past exposure through serological assays for NPHV and EPgV-specific antibodies. NPHV antibodies were detected in 43% of 328 horses screened for antibodies to NS3 and core antibodies, of which three were viraemic by PCR. All five horses that were stablemates of a viraemic horse were seropositive, as was a dog on the same farm. With this single exception, all other species were negative for NPHV antibodies and viraemia: donkeys (n=100), dogs (n=112), cats (n=131), non-human primates (n=164) and humans (n=362). EPgV antibodies to NS3 were detected in 66.5% of horses, including 10 of the 12 horses that had EPgV viraemia. All donkey samples were negative for EPgV antibody and RNA. All horse and donkey samples were negative for TDAV RNA. By comparing viraemia frequencies in horses with and without liver disease, no evidence was obtained that supported an association between active NPHV and EPgV infections with hepatopathy. The study demonstrates that NPHV and EPgV infections are widespread and enzootic in the study horse population and confirms that NPHV and potentially EPgV have higher frequencies of viral clearance than HCV and HPgV infections in humans.
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Sinéad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.affiliation: Metabiota, 1 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Metabiota, 1 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Culshaw
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.affiliation: Liphook Equine Hospital, Forest Mere, Liphook, Hampshire, UK.
authors.forename: Andy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.affiliation: The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon, UK.
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burden
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: McGorum
authors.affiliation: Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simmonds
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004285:Dogs; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral