Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Isolation of equid alphaherpesvirus 3 from a horse in Iceland with equine coital exanthema.
- Journal:
- Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Thorsteinsdóttir, Lilja et al.
- Affiliation:
- Institute for Experimental Pathology
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A mare in Iceland was found to have equine coital exanthema (ECE), a contagious disease caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3). This condition leads to the development of bumps, blisters, and sores on the genitals of both male and female horses. Although there have been signs of ECE in Icelandic horses before, this is the first time the virus has been confirmed through laboratory testing. Samples taken from the mare showed the presence of EHV-3, marking a significant finding for the horse population in Iceland. Overall, the diagnosis of EHV-3 infection was successfully established in this case.
Abstract
Equine coital exanthema (ECE) caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is a contagious venereal disease. It is characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genitals of both mares and stallions. The Icelandic horse is the only breed in Iceland and has lived isolated in the country for over 1000 years. Three types of equine herpesviruses (EHV) have been found in Iceland, EHV-4, EHV-2 and EHV-5, while EHV-1 has never been detected. Symptoms resembling ECE have previous been observed in horses in Iceland, arousing suspicion of EHV-3 infection, but this has never been confirmed using virological methods. Samples were collected from a mare with papules on the vulva and inoculated in primary equine kidney cells. Cytopathic effects developed as rounded cells and syncytial formation. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of the partial glycoprotein G and DNA polymerase genes identified the isolated virus as EHV-3. On the basis of the findings, EHV-3 infection was verified for the first time in the native Icelandic horse population.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33531030/