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Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a virus of the family Herpesviridae that causes abortion in horses. Initial spread of EHV-1 by a newly introduced horse through direct and indirect contact can lead to abortion and perinatal infection in up to 70 percent of a previously unexposed herd.[1] Abortion usually occurs in the last four months of gestation, two to four weeks after infection of the mare.[2] Perinatal (around the time of birth) infection can lead to pneumonia and death. Encephalitis can occur in affected animals, leading to ataxia, paralysis, and death. There is a vaccine available, however it’s efficacy is questionable.
Recent molecular epidemiology studies have identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) which varies between EHV-1 field isolates and shows a highly statistically significant correlation with paralytic compared with non-paralytic disease outbreaks [3] . The SNP corresponds to a single amino acid change in the DNA polymerase enzyme, which is an essential enzyme for replication of viral DNA. This is a significant finding, suggesting that a point mutation in a single virus gene has a major impact upon likely disease severity during an outbreak.
In 2006, an outbreak of EHV-1 among stables in Florida resulted in the institution of various quarantine measures.[4] The outbreak was determined to have originated with several horses imported from Europe via New York, and then shipped to Florida.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Fenner, Frank J.; Gibbs, E. Paul J.; Murphy, Frederick A.; Rott, Rudolph; Studdert, Michael J.; White, David O. (1993). Veterinary Virology (2nd ed.). Academic Press, Inc. ISBN 0-12-253056-X.
- ^ Carter, G.R.; Flores, E.F.; Wise, D.J. (2006). Herpesviridae. A Concise Review of Veterinary Virology. Retrieved on 2006-06-08.
- ^ Nugent J, Birch-Machin I, Smith K, Mumford J, Swann Z, Newton J, Bowden R, Allen G & Davis-Poynter N. Analysis of Equid Herpesvirus 1 Strain Variation Reveals a Point Mutation of the DNA Polymerase Strongly Associated with Neuropathogenic versus Nonneuropathogenic Disease Outbreaks. Journal of Virology. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
- ^ Equine Herpes Virus type1 Status Report – Florida. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
- ^ EHV-1, Outbreak Background. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
