Review of two viral agents of economic importance to the equine industry (equine herpesvirus‐1, and equine arteritis virus)

Abstract

Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) are infectious agents that cause serious health risks to horse populations and are disbursed worldwide, which can lead to significant financial losses. In addition to being responsible for abortion and neonatal death, these viruses are associated with respiratory illness. Although previous research and reviews have been written on these viruses, both viruses still affect horse populations around the world and the vaccines currently available are not completely protective, especially against EHV-1 and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM).Moreover, EAV is considered a threat to the $102 billion equine industry in the United States. As a result, these viruses represent a huge threat to the horse industry and efforts geared towards preventing the outbreak of the disease are strongly encouraged.For this reason, updates about these viruses are necessary and require more and more discussion on the nature and characteristics of these viruses to know how to overcome them. Prevention and control of abortion and neonatal foal death caused by each of the two viruses depend on appropriate management strategies coupled with prophylactic vaccination. This review presents the latest detailed information on EHV-1 and EAV from several aspects such as transmission, clinical signs, pathogenesis, latest developments on the treatment of the diseases, vaccination, and finally challenges and future perspectives. The information presented herein will be useful in understanding EHV-1 and EAV and formulating policies that can help to limit the spread of these viruses within horse populations.

Retrospective study on equine viral abortions in Poland between 1999 and 2022

“…Equine arteritis virus is a member of the Alphaarterivirus genus within the Arteriviridae family (18). Although infections with this virus often remain subclinical, they can also lead to the development of clinical signs including pyrexia, depression, anorexia, oedema, conjunctivitis, petechial haemorrhages on mucosal surfaces and urticaria.…”

“…Oedematous changes and degeneration of fibroblasts in the subvillous layers of the placenta could be observed as a result of infection (32). Between approximately 10% and over 50% of infected pregnant mares abort within 10 to 33 days of infection with the virus during the acute or early convalescent stages (6,16,18). In Poland, a longitudinal study performed between 1976 and 2010 showed that EAV infections were associated with over 23% of cases of abortion and neonatal death in the analysed period (5).…”