Equine respiratory viruses in foals in New Zealand

Abstract

AIMS: To identify the respiratory viruses that are present among foals in New Zealand and to establish the age at which foals first become infected with these viruses. METHODS: Foals were recruited to the study in October/November 1995 at the age of 1 month (Group A) or in March/April 1996 at the age of 4–6 months (Groups B and C). Nasal swabs and blood samples were collected at monthly intervals. Nasal swabs and peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) harvested from heparinised blood samples were used for virus isolation; serum harvested from whole-blood samples was used for serological testing for the presence of antibodies against equine herpesvirus (EHV)-1 or -4, equine rhinitis-A virus (ERAV), equine rhinitis-B virus (ERBV), equine adenovirus 1 (EAdV-1), equine arteritis virus (EAV), reovirus 3 and parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3). Twelve foals were sampled until December 1996; the remaining 19 foals were lost from the study at various times prior to this date. RESULTS: The only viruses isolated were EHV-2 and EHV-5. EHV-2 was isolated from 155/157 PBL samples collected during the period of study and from 40/172 nasal swabs collected from 18 foals. All isolations from nasal swabs, except one, were made over a period of 2–4 months from January to April (Group A), March to April (Group B) or May to July (Group C). EHV-5 was isolated from either PBL, nasal swabs, or both, from 15 foals on 32 occasions. All foals were positive for antibodies to EHV-1 or EHV-4, as tested by serum neutralisation (SN), on at least one sampling occasion and all but one were positive for EHV-1 antibodies measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on at least one sampling occasion. Recent EHV-1 infection was evident at least once during the period of study in 18/23 (78%) foals for which at least two samples were collected. SN antibodies to ERBV were evident in 19/23 (83%) foals on at least one sampling occasion and 15/23 foals showed evidence of seroconversion to ERBV. Antibodies to ERAV were only detected in serum samples collected from foals in Group A and probably represented maternally-derived antibodies. Haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titres ≥1:10 to EAdV-1were evident in 21/23 (91%) foals on at least one sampling occasion and 16/23 foals showed serological evidence of recent EAdV-1 infection. None of the 67 serum samples tested were positive for antibodies to EAV, reovirus 3 or PIV3. There was no clear association between infection with any of the viruses isolated or tested for and the presence of overt clinical signs of respiratory disease. CONCLUSIONS: There was serological and/or virological evidence that EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-5, EAdV-1 and ERBV infections were present among foals in New Zealand. EHV-2 infection was first detected in foals as young as 3 months of age. The isolation of EHV-2 from nasal swabs preceded serological evidence of infection with other respiratory viruses, suggesting that EHV-2 may predispose foals to other viral infections.