Abstract
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) is a highly contagious, venereally-transmitted mucocutaneous disease, characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genital organs of mares and stallions, and caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3). The infection is endemic worldwide and the virus is transmitted mainly through direct contact during sexual intercourse and by contaminated instruments during reproductive maneuvers in breeding facilities. The disease does not result in systemic illness, infertility or abortion, yet it does have a negative impact on the equine industry as it forces the temporary withdrawal of affected animals with the consequent disruption of mating activities in breeding facilities. The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date relevant information on the knowledge of EHV-3 infection and to analyze new approaches on diagnostics, treatment and prevention in the interest of minimizing the negative consequences of ECE in light of the current situation of the equine industry.
Highlights
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) is a highly contagious, venereally-transmitted mucocutaneous disease, characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genital organs of mares and stallions, and caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) [1,2].The disease, firstly described in Ireland in the early 1900s [3], was concurrently isolated during the 1960s in the United States, Canada and Australia [4,5,6]
The purpose of this review is to provide up-to-date relevant information on the knowledge on EHV-3 infection and to analyze new approaches on diagnostics, treatment and prevention in the interest of minimizing the negative consequences of ECE in light of the current situation of the equine industry
EHV-3 is endemic in most equine breeding populations in the world
Summary
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) is a highly contagious, venereally-transmitted mucocutaneous disease, characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genital organs of mares and stallions, and caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) [1,2]. As stated by Barrandeguy (2010), a genetic analysis of the partial sequence of the gG gene from 25 field isolates demonstrated that there are at least four genetically distinguishable strains in circulation, named CAT, AAT, CAG and ACT. These variants are a consequence of three base substitutions at positions 904, 1103 and 1264 of the gG gene, being the one at position 904 a silent mutation, while those at 1103 and 1264 produce changes in the amino acid sequence: aspartic acid to alanine in the amino acid position 368, and serine to alanine in the 422 of the gG protein [27]. The main limitation of these studies is that the results have been obtained under laboratory conditions, which do not completely represent what happens in field conditions
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