Abstract
Respiratory diseases cause significant economic losses (especially in the horse racing industry). The present study describes the detection and genetic characteristics of equine herpesvirus (EHV) from a total of 1497 samples from clinically healthy horses in Korea, including 926 blood samples, 187 lung tissues, and 384 nasal swabs. EHV-2 and EHV-5 were detected in 386 (41.7%; 95% CI: 38.5–44.9) and 201 (21.7%; 95% CI: 19.1–24.4) blood samples, respectively, and in 25 (13.4%; 95% CI: 8.5–18.2) and 35 (18.7%; 95% CI: 13.1–24.3) lung tissues, respectively. EHV-1 and EHV-4 were not detected in either blood or lung tissues. EHV-1, EHV-2, and EHV-5 were detected in 46 (12.0%; 95% CI: 8.7–15.2), 21 (5.5%; 95% CI: 3.2–7.7), and 43 (11.2%; 95% CI: 8.0–14.4) nasal swabs, respectively. EHV-4 was not detected in nasal swabs. Co-infection with EHV-2 and EHV-5 was detected in 11.6% (107/926) of the blood samples and 6.4% (12/187) of lung tissues. In nasal swabs, co-infection with EHV-1, EHV-2, and EHV-5 was detected in 0.8% (3/384) of samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the glycoprotein B gene showed that EHV-1, EHV-2, and EHV-5 strains demonstrated significant genetic diversity in Korea, with a nucleotide sequence identity among them that ranged from 95.7% to 100% for EHV-1, 96.2–100% for EHV-2, and 93.8–99.3% for EHV-5. These results are the first phylogenetic analyses of EHV-1 in Korea in nasal swabs from a nationwide population of clinically healthy horses. Both EHV-2 and EHV-5 from blood, lung tissues, and nasal swabs were also detected.
Highlights
In the horse racing industry, infectious respiratory disease caused by viruses is one of the chief factors influencing racing results, causing large economic losses [1]
Equine herpesvirus (EHV) has been detected in Korea: a case of EHV-1 was substantiated by immunohistochemistry and reported in an aborted fetus in 1979 [11]; among horses suffering from respiratory diseases, the presence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 by real-time PCR and EHV-5 by conventional
The incidences of different EHV strain infections were evaluated from a total of 1497 samples from clinically healthy horses, including 926 blood draws, 187 lung tissues, and 384 nasal swabs
Summary
In the horse racing industry, infectious respiratory disease caused by viruses is one of the chief factors influencing racing results, causing large economic losses [1]. Equine herpesvirus (EHV)-1 and EHV-4 are Alphaherpesviruses [2] that cause disease in equine populations across the world. Basement membrane and causes systemic infection that can result in chronic respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal foal death, chorioretinopathy, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy [3,4,5]. EHV-4 principally infects epithelial cells and is considered the predominant viral cause of equine acute respiratory disease [6]. EHV has been detected in Korea: a case of EHV-1 was substantiated by immunohistochemistry and reported in an aborted fetus in 1979 [11]; among horses suffering from respiratory diseases, the presence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 by real-time PCR and EHV-5 by conventional. EHV is important economically, studies on the occurrence and epidemiology of these viruses in Korea remain scarce. The present study sought to discover the epidemiologic parameters of EHV using molecular techniques
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