Abstract
An equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) has been recently identified in association with equine serum hepatitis, also known as Theiler’s disease. This disease was first described by Arnold Theiler in 1918 and is often observed after applications with blood products in equines. So far, the virus has only been described in the USA and China. In this study, we evaluated the presence of EqPV-H in several commercial serum samples to assess the potential risk of virus transmission by equine serum-based products for medical and research applications. In 11 out of 18 commercial serum samples, EqPV-H DNA was detectable with a viral load up to 105 copies/mL. The same serum batches as well as three additional samples were also positive for antibodies against the EqPV-H VP1 protein. The countries of origin with detectable viral genomes included the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, and Germany, suggesting a worldwide distribution of EqPV-H. Phylogenetic analysis of the EqPV-H NS1 sequence in commercial serum samples revealed high similarities in viral sequences from different geographical areas. As horse sera are commonly used for the production of anti-sera, which are included in human and veterinary medical products, these results implicate the requirement for diagnostic tests to prevent EqPV-H transmission.
Highlights
Parvoviruses are small, non-enveloped viruses with a DNA genome typically encoding at least two major gene complexes with the non-structural protein (NS1, multidomain nuclear phosphoprotein) and capsid protein (VP1)
We investigated the occurrence of equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) DNA and antibodies within commercial horse sera
We showed that anti-EqPV-H DNA and EqPV-H antibodies are frequently detectable in commercially available horse sera from various origins indicating a worldwide circulation of EqPV
Summary
Parvoviruses are small, non-enveloped viruses with a DNA genome typically encoding at least two major gene complexes with the non-structural protein (NS1, multidomain nuclear phosphoprotein) and capsid protein (VP1). Many viruses have been newly identified or reassigned to the family Parvoviridae, which is divided into two subfamilies, the Densovirinae and the Parvovirinae, according to whether they infect invertebrates or vertebrates, respectively [1,2] Both subfamilies are further divided into various genera based on their genome organization. Given the potential risk of EqPV-H contaminated equine serum products for medical as well as research applications, in this study we investigated the prevalence of EqPV-H among commercial equine serum pools from various countries worldwide To this end, a total of 18 serum samples from different providers were analyzed for the presence of anti-EqPV-H-VP1-antibodies and EqPV-H DNA. The results indicate that EqPV-H is highly prevalent in commercial horse serum around the world and that blood-based products derived from equine donors should be tested for EqPV-H
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