Equine herpesviruses: a roundtable discussion

Foreword There are nine different equid herpesviruses (EHVs). Five types (EHV-1 to EHV-5) infect the domestic horse, while EHV-6 to EHV-9 are associated with infections in wild equids including asses and zebra. This review focuses on the commonest and most important clinical pathogens, the alphaherpesviruses EHV-1 and 4. These are respiratory pathogens and are also responsible for abortion and neurological disease. Several aspects of the biology of these viruses makes their control challenging. In particular, latent infection and reactivation of infection under stress, with subsequent virus shedding, makes elimination of these viruses impossible. Biosecurity measures are important both for minimising the risk of an outbreak and for controlling any outbreak when it occurs. Recognition of the disease and confirmatory diagnosis are also important in order for appropriate biosecurity measures to be instigated. Vaccination in key demographic groups is also important to reduce severe clinical disease. Unfortunately many horse owners are unaware of EHV or the importance of biosecurity measures and vaccination for control.

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Neurological and epidemiological aspects of a BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis outbreak

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology ◽

10.1590/s1516-89132009000700011 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 52 (spe) ◽

pp. 77-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Michele Lunardi ◽

Marlise Pompeo Claus ◽

Júlio Augusto Naylor Lisbôa ◽

Alexandre Mendes Amude ◽

Selwyn Arlington Headley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiplex Pcr ◽

Neurological Disease ◽

Latent Infection ◽

Bovine Herpesvirus ◽

Dna Virus ◽

Brainstem Dysfunction ◽

Dairy Cattle Herd ◽

Young Cattle ◽

Natural Outbreak ◽

Current Report

Bovine herpesvirus 5 is a DNA virus that has been associated with meningoencephalitis in young cattle. While its clinical diagnosis is obscured by other major diseases that also produce similar neurological disease in cattle, the use of conventional virological techniques is hampered by the establishment of a lifelong latent infection in the host and the difficulty in differentiating BoHV-1 and BoHV-5. The aim of the current report is to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects observed in a natural outbreak of BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis in a dairy cattle herd from Brazil. In the outbreak, the affected animals consisted of nine calves, which presented three possible forms of the neurological disease, subjectively classified as peracute, acute, and subacute/chronic. In contrast to conventional herpetic meningoencephalitis, characterized mainly by progressive multifocal brain dysfunctions, BoHV-5 infection resulted in focal non-progressive caudal brainstem dysfunction (pontomedullary syndrome) in an animal presented with subacute/chronic BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis. The evaluation of CNS tissue of affected calves through both histological examination and multiplex-PCR was able to confirm BoHV-5 infection. Additionally, the analysis of CSF samples through PCR allowed ante-mortem BoHV-5 diagnosis during the outbreak, which enabled the implementation of several measures of control for the disease.

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The in vivo effects of recombinant bovine herpesvirus-1 expressing bovine interferon-γ

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/0022-1317-81-11-2665 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 81 (11) ◽

pp. 2665-2673 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Camilo Raggo ◽

Monique Habermehl ◽

Lorne A. Babiuk ◽

Philip Griebel

Keyword(s):

Primary Infection ◽

Latent Infection ◽

Bovine Herpesvirus ◽

Interferon Γ ◽

Bovine Herpesvirus 1 ◽

Recombinant Interferon ◽

Virus Shedding ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

Herpesvirus 1

To study the biological relevance of using bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) as a vector for expressing cytokines, a BHV-1 virus that expressed bovine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was constructed. This recombinant virus (BHV-1/IFNγ) was then used to infect the natural host in a respiratory disease model. In vitro characterization of the recombinant interferon-γ confirmed that the cytokine expressed in BHV-1-infected cells was biologically active. The in vivo effects of the recombinant IFN-γ were then analysed during a primary infection and after reactivation of a latent infection. During the primary infection, similar body temperature, clinical responses and virus shedding were observed for calves infected with either recombinant BHV-1/IFNγ or parental gC−/LacZ+ virus. An analysis of cellular and humoral responses did not reveal any significant immunomodulation by BHV-1/IFNγ during the primary infection. The stability and activity of recombinant IFN-γ was also analysed following the establishment of a latent infection. The presence of recombinant IFN-γ did not significantly alter virus shedding following reactivation. The isolation of reactivated BHV-1/IFNγ virus confirmed that a functional IFN-γ gene was retained during latency. Thus, herpesviruses may provide virus vectors that retain functional genes during latency and recrudescence.

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Latent infection by bovine herpesvirus type-5 in experimentally infected rabbits: virus reactivation, shedding and recrudescence of neurological disease

Veterinary Microbiology ◽

10.1016/s0378-1135(01)00441-2 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 84 (4) ◽

pp. 285-295 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

L Caron ◽

E.F Flores ◽

R Weiblen ◽

C.F.C Scherer ◽

L.F Irigoyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neurological Disease ◽

Latent Infection ◽

Bovine Herpesvirus ◽

Virus Reactivation ◽

Herpesvirus Type ◽

Bovine Herpesvirus Type 5

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Investigating Neurological Disease

10.1017/cbo9780511526909 ◽

2001 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Albert Hofman ◽

Richard Mayeux

Keyword(s):

Neurological Disease

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Fatality of Suicide Attempts in Amsterdam 1996–2005

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910.30.4.180 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 180-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Evertjan Jansen ◽

Marcel C.A. Buster ◽

Annemarie L. Zuur ◽

Cees Das

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Time Trends ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Absolute Number ◽

Demographic Differences ◽

Demographic Groups ◽

Wish To Die ◽

Municipal Health

Background: According to recent figures, Amsterdam is the municipality with the highest absolute number of suicides and the second highest suicide rate in the Netherlands. Aims: The aim of the study was to identify time trends and demographic differences in the occurrence of nonfatal suicide attempts versus suicides. Methods: We used registrations of forensic physicians and ambulance services of the Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam to study 1,004 suicides and 6,166 nonfatal attempts occurring in Amsterdam over the period 1996–2005. Results: The number of nonfatal attempts declined from 1996 to 2005, but the number of completed suicides remained relatively stable. Although case fatality was strongly associated with method used, we also found higher case fatalities for men and older people independent of method. Conclusions: The case fatality results suggest differences in motive among different demographic groups: possibly the wish to die is stronger among men and elderly. This finding had implications for the success to be expected from different preventive measures.

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