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  • Title: Prevalence of latent, neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus-1 in the Thoroughbred broodmare population of central Kentucky.
    Author: Allen GP, Bolin DC, Bryant U, Carter CN, Giles RC, Harrison LR, Hong CB, Jackson CB, Poonacha K, Wharton R, Williams NM.
    Journal: Equine Vet J; 2008 Mar; 40(2):105-10. PubMed ID: 18089469.
    Abstract:
    REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY: An emerging problem of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection in horses in the USA is a high-mortality myeloencephalopathy that commonly occurs where large numbers of horses are stabled. EHV-1 isolates recovered from recent neurological outbreaks represent a mutant virus strain that possesses enhanced neuropathogenicity. A central question of EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy is the latency carriage rate for these mutants of EHV-1 in USA horse populations. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of neuropathogenic strains of EHV-1 as latent infections in the Thoroughbred broodmare population of central Kentucky. METHODS: Submandibular lymph nodes (SMLN) were collected during post mortem examination of 132 Thoroughbred broodmares. Total DNA purified from SMLN tissue was tested for the presence of latent EHV-1 DNA by an ultrasensitive magnetic bead-based, sequence-capture, nested PCR method. Differentiation of active from latent infections by EHV-1 was achieved by detection of transcripts of EHV-1 glycoprotein B by reverse transcription PCR. RESULTS: Latent EHV-1 DNA was detected in the SMLN tissues of 71 (54%) of the 132 mares submitted for necropsy. Thirteen (18%) of the 71 latently infected horses harboured the neuropathogenic biovar of EHV-1. Of the 13 horses latently infected with an ORF30 mutant strain of EHV-1, 11 also carried a latent, wild-type strain of the virus in their SMLN tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropathogenic strains of EHV-1 have established a significant presence in the Thoroughbred broodmare population of central Kentucky as latently infected carrier horses. The data also indicate that a highly sensitive DNA detection method is required to identify many instances of EHV-1 latency. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The presence of a relatively large biological reservoir of latent, neuropathogenic EHV-1 has the potential for posing emerging equine health and economic threats to the future prosperity of the USA horse industry.
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