title: Abortion in a Mediterranean miniature donkey (Equus asinus) associated with a gammaherpesvirus similar to Equid herpesvirus 7.
abstract: Fetal tissues and placenta from a third trimester Mediterranean miniature donkey (Equus asinus) abortion were submitted to the Washington State University, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for abortion diagnosis. Microscopic examination of formalin-fixed tissues revealed multifocal necrotizing placentitis. Several cells within the necrotic foci contained large, eosinophilic, intranuclear inclusions. Virus isolation from fresh, frozen placenta identified a cytopathic, syncytia-forming virus. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the cultured virus using degenerate universal herpesvirus primers amplified a 699-base pair portion of the DNA polymerase gene. The PCR amplicon had 96.7% nucleotide identity with the DNA polymerase gene of Equid herpesvirus 7 (EHV-7; asinine herpesvirus 2), a gammaherpesvirus. An identical sequence was obtained when the same degenerate herpesvirus primers were used for PCR on the formalin-fixed placenta. Additionally, the amplicon had complete identity with short sequences of asinine herpesviruses that have been published in association with interstitial pneumonia in donkeys. EHV-7 has previously been isolated from nasal secretions of normal donkeys and mules. Our report describes a case of abortion associated with EHV-7 or a similar virus.
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink) tlecuyer@vetmed.wsu.edu.
authors.forename: Tessa E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: LeCuyer
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink).
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rink
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink).
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bradway
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink).
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Evermann
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink).
authors.forename: Anthony V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Nicola
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink).
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baszler
authors.affiliation: Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LeCuyer, Bradway, Evermann, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology (LeCuyer, Nicola, Baszler, Haldorson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAPaul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health (Bradway, Nicola, Baszler), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WADepartment of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (Evermann), College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WAAnimal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Sparks, NV (Rink).
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Haldorson
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D018397:Equidae; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
keywords: Abortion; Equid herpesvirus 7; asinine herpesvirus 2; donkeys; placentitis