An Outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus-4 in an Ecological Donkey Milk Farm in Romania

Abstract

Equine herpesviruses are important pathogens causing significant economic loss in equine and asinine populations. EHV-1/4 strains are mainly associated with respiratory distress. The aim of this study is to report the first EHV 4-associated respiratory disease in donkeys in Romania. Thirty-seven of three hundred jennies in an ecological donkey farm in southwest Romania started initially showing signs of severe upper respiratory tract disease, with ten concomitant late abortions/neonatal deaths and three neurological cases. There were nine fatalities. Pathological examination was performed, and samples were collected for Real-Time PCR analysis and histology. In addition, serum samples from 28 individuals with respiratory symptoms were collected and tested using indirect ELISA. RT-PCR identified the EHV-4 strain. Acute, diffuse necrotizing bronchointerstitial pneumonia with occasional intraepithelial intranuclear viral inclusion bodies was identified. Additionally, EHV-1/4-specific antibodies were found in 15 of the 28 sampled animals. Few studies on donkeys and herpesviruses have been published, and this is the first reported case of EHV-4 outbreak in Romania. There is a need for more extensive seroprevalence studies as, currently, the status of EHV-4 infection in donkeys in Romania is unknown.

Frequency of Detection and Prevalence Factors Associated with Common Respiratory Pathogens in Equids with Acute Onset of Fever and/or Respiratory Signs (2008–2021)

“…Among the individual infections, EIV and EHV-4 made up 63% of all infections. This is not surprising considering that these two viruses are endemic in most horse populations and commonly associated with outbreaks [ 19 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. It is interesting to notice that seasonality, demographics, use, and clinical signs between EIV and EHV-4 qPCR-positive horses differed slightly.…”

Development of multiplex gold nanoparticles biosensors for ultrasensitive detection and genotyping of equine herpes viruses

“…The symptoms of EHV-1 may include respiratory disease, abortion in female horses, and neurological disease that can lead to paralysis and even death 2 . On the other hand, EHV-4 usually results in milder respiratory symptoms and rarely leads to abortion or neurological illness 3 . Nevertheless, both viruses can have significant economic implications for the equine industry due to their adverse impact on horse health and performance 4 , 5 .…”

Epidemiological and Phylogeographic Study of Equid Herpesviruses in Tunisia

“…The most studied EHVs are the alphaherpesviruses EHV1 and EHV4 since they pose the most serious health risks [3]. EHV4 was recently incriminated in outbreaks of respiratory disease in Germany, Romania and China [4][5][6]. EHV1 is mostly implicated in abortion, neonatal and perinatal death and neurological disease [3].…”