Abstract
An equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) has been recently identified in association with equine serum hepatitis, also known as Theiler’s disease. The disease was first described by Arnold Theiler in 1918 and is often observed with parenteral use of blood products in equines. However, natural ways of viral circulation and potential risk factors for transmission still remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of EqPV-H infections in Thoroughbred horses in northern and western Germany and aimed to identify potential risk factors associated with viral infections. A total of 392 Thoroughbreds broodmares and stallions were evaluated cross-sectionally for the presence of anti-EqPV-H antibodies and EqPV-H DNA using a luciferase immunoprecipitation assay (LIPS) and a quantitative PCR, respectively. In addition, data regarding age, stud farm, breeding history, and international transportation history of each horse were collected and analysed. An occurrence of 7% EqPV-H DNA positive and 35% seropositive horses was observed in this study cohort. The systematic analysis of risk factors revealed that age, especially in the group of 11–15-year-old horses, and breeding history were potential risk factors that can influence the rate of EqPV-H infections. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed a high similarity on nucleotide level within the sequenced Thoroughbred samples. In conclusion, this study demonstrates circulating EqPV-H infections in Thoroughbred horses from central Europe and revealed age and breeding history as risk factors for EqPV-H infections.
Highlights
Equine serum hepatitis (i.e., Theiler’s disease (TD)) is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease and one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis and liver failure in horses [1]
We examined the prevalence of equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) among Thoroughbred breeding horses in northern and western Germany to identify potential risk factors for EqPV-H infections
We first investigated the frequency of EqPV-H infections among Thoroughbreds from the north and west of Germany
Summary
Equine serum hepatitis (i.e., Theiler’s disease (TD)) is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease and one of the most common causes of acute hepatitis and liver failure in horses [1]. TD was first reported in 1918 by Sir Arnold Theiler, after he observed signs of liver disease in animals vaccinated against African horse sickness with a combination of live virus and equine antiserum [2]. Viruses 2019, 11, 965 multiple outbreaks of Theilers disease have been observed following parenterally administered equine serum products [3,4,5,6]. An incidence between 1.4%–18% of fulminant hepatitis among horses receiving an equine biological product has been reported [2,7]. Given the association between prior treatment with equine serum/plasma and the appearance of Theiler’s disease an etiologic role for a contaminating toxin or infectious agent has been suggested [8]. The exact pathogenic agent remained unknown for nearly a century
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