title: Detection of Vaccinia virus during an outbreak of exanthemous oral lesions in Brazilian equids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In August 2014, an outbreak of oral exanthematous disease in equids was reported in Brazil, affecting 11 donkeys and 3 mules.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if Vaccinia virus (VACV) was the aetiological agent in this outbreak.
  
  
  METHODS
  Investigation of clinical cases using serological, molecular and phylogenetic approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  To analyse the presence of neutralising antibodies against VACV, samples were submitted in triplicate to a plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT50%). On the basis of previous studies which detected VACV DNA in sera, we submitted extracted DNA samples to different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platforms targeting Orthopoxvirus (OPV) genes (C11R, A56R and A26L). The PCR products were directly sequenced in both orientations using specific primers and capillary electrophoresis. The alignment and phylogenetic analysis of the A26L and A56R nucleotide sequences (maximum likelihood) were prepared with the obtained nucleotide fragments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serological and molecular data suggested VACV as the aetiological agent. The neutralising antibodies against OPV were detected in 5 (55.5%) of the equids, with titres ≥40 neutralising u/ml. Based on the results obtained from all PCR platforms, all samples were positive for OPV: 9 (100%) for A56R, 4 (44.4%) for C11R and 3 (33.3%) for A26L. The alignment of the nucleotide sequences of the A26L and A56R fragments revealed that the samples were highly similar to the homologous genes from other Brazilian VACV Group 1 isolates (98.8% identity on average). Furthermore, both the A26L and A56R sequences showed signature deletions also present in the sequences of Group 1 VACV isolates from Brazil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data raises questions about the role of equids in the chain of VACV epidemiology. The surveillance of equids in VACV-affected areas worldwide is relevant.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Abrahão
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Souza Trindade
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pereira-Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Moreira Franco-Luiz
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lopes Assis
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bretas de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: ADAB - Agência Estadual de Defesa Agropecuária da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Mattos Paim
authors.affiliation: ADAB - Agência Estadual de Defesa Agropecuária da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: de Araújo Oliveira
authors.affiliation: ADAB - Agência Estadual de Defesa Agropecuária da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lemos Maia Neto
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geessien Kroon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D018397:Equidae; D005076:Exanthema / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: 
  Vaccinia virus
  ; Horse; emerging infectious disease; orthopoxvirus