title: Respiratory and neurological disease in rabbits experimentally infected with equid herpesvirus 1.
abstract: Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is an important pathogen of horses worldwide, associated with respiratory, reproductive and/or neurological disease. A mouse model for EHV-1 infection has been established but fails to reproduce some important aspects of the viral pathogenesis. Then, we investigated the susceptibility of rabbits to EHV-1 aiming at proposing this species as an alternative model for EHV-1 infection. Weanling rabbits inoculated intranasal with EHV-1 Kentucky D (10(7) TCID50/animal) shed virus in nasal secretions up to day 8-10 post-inoculation (pi), presented viremia up to day 14 pi and seroconverted to EHV-1 (virus neutralizing titers 4 to 64). Most rabbits (75%) developed respiratory disease, characterized by serous to hemorrhagic nasal discharge and mild to severe dyspnea. Some animals (20%) presented neurological signs as circling, bruxism and opisthotonus. Six animals died during acute disease (days 3-6); infectious virus and/or viral DNA were detected in the lungs, trigeminal ganglia (TG), olfactory bulbs (OBs) and cerebral cortex/brain (CC). Histological examination showed necrohemorrhagic, multifocal to coalescent bronchointerstitial pneumonia and diffuse alveolar edema. In two rabbits euthanized at day 50 pi, latent EHV-1 DNA was detected in the OBs. Dexamethasone administration at day 50 pi resulted in virus reactivation, demonstrated by virus shedding, viremia, clinical signs, and increase in VN titers and/or by detection of virus DNA in lungs, OBs, TGs and/or CC. These results demonstrate that rabbits are susceptible to EHV-1 infection and develop respiratory and neurological signs upon experimental inoculation. Thus, rabbits may be used to study selected aspects of EHV-1 biology and pathogenesis, extending and complementing the mouse model.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Virologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, prédio 20, sala 4200, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil; 9(a) Supervisão Regional da Secretaria da Agricultura e Pecuária do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Mário Santo Dani, 100, Osório, RS, CEP 95520-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Kanitz
authors.affiliation: Setor de Virologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, prédio 20, sala 4200, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cargnelutti
authors.affiliation: Setor de Virologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, prédio 20, sala 4200, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil; Escola de Medicina, Faculdade Meridional - IMED, Senador Pinheiro, 304, Passo Fundo, RS, CEP 99070-220, Brazil.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anziliero
authors.affiliation: Setor de Virologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, prédio 20, sala 4200, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kelley V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Axys Análises Laboratório Veterinário e Consultoria Diagnóstica, Rua Pedro Chaves Barcelos, 475, Bairro Montserrat, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90450-010, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: Setor de Virologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, prédio 20, sala 4200, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiblen
authors.affiliation: Setor de Virologia, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, prédio 20, sala 4200, Santa Maria, RS, CEP 97105-900, Brazil. Electronic address: eduardofurtadoflores@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eduardo F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Flores
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000821:virology; D011817:Rabbits; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000821:virology; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D017201:Virus Shedding
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone
keywords: Acute disease; Animal model; EHV-1; Latency; New Zealand rabbits