Abstract
A 2-y-old female Grant’s zebra (Equus quagga [burchellii] boehmi) was presented with a clinical history of depression, anorexia, and weakness of 1-wk duration. Postmortem examination identified ulcers on the tongue and palate; a large abscess adjacent to the larynx; left lung consolidation; mild swelling, darkening, and congestion of the liver with accentuation of the lobular pattern; and edema and congestion of the distal small and large intestines. Histologic examination identified necrotizing bronchopneumonia, necrotizing hepatitis, nephritis, and enterocolitis. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions were detected in syncytial cells and degenerate bronchial epithelium in the lungs and in some hepatocytes associated with necrotic foci. Bacterial cultures of the lung, liver, and laryngeal abscess failed to detect any significant pathogen. Lung and liver tested positive for equine herpesvirus with neuropathogenic marker by real-time PCR. Subsequently, equine herpesvirus was isolated in tissue culture, and the entire viral DNA polymerase gene (ORF30) was sequenced. The zebra lung isolate had a very close nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity to equid alphaherpesvirus 9 (EHV-9; 99.6% and 99.8%, respectively) in contrast to the neuropathogenic T953 strain of EHV-1 (94.7% and 96.6%, respectively). Although zebras are considered the natural host for EHV-9, we document an unusual acute systemic, fatal EHV-9 infection in a 2-y-old Grant’s zebra.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 580-583 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2018 |
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Keywords
- EHV-9
- Equid alphaherpesvirus 9
- equine herpesviruses
- Grant’s zebra
- zebra herpesvirus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- veterinary(all)
Cite this
Systemic equid alphaherpesvirus 9 in a Grant’s zebra. / Moeller, Robert B.; Crossley, Beate; Pipkin, Arlena; Li, Yanqiu; Balasuriya, Udeni B.R.
In: Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, Vol. 30, No. 4, 01.07.2018, p. 580-583.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Systemic equid alphaherpesvirus 9 in a Grant’s zebra
AU - Moeller, Robert B.
AU - Crossley, Beate
AU - Pipkin, Arlena
AU - Li, Yanqiu
AU - Balasuriya, Udeni B.R.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - A 2-y-old female Grant’s zebra (Equus quagga [burchellii] boehmi) was presented with a clinical history of depression, anorexia, and weakness of 1-wk duration. Postmortem examination identified ulcers on the tongue and palate; a large abscess adjacent to the larynx; left lung consolidation; mild swelling, darkening, and congestion of the liver with accentuation of the lobular pattern; and edema and congestion of the distal small and large intestines. Histologic examination identified necrotizing bronchopneumonia, necrotizing hepatitis, nephritis, and enterocolitis. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions were detected in syncytial cells and degenerate bronchial epithelium in the lungs and in some hepatocytes associated with necrotic foci. Bacterial cultures of the lung, liver, and laryngeal abscess failed to detect any significant pathogen. Lung and liver tested positive for equine herpesvirus with neuropathogenic marker by real-time PCR. Subsequently, equine herpesvirus was isolated in tissue culture, and the entire viral DNA polymerase gene (ORF30) was sequenced. The zebra lung isolate had a very close nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity to equid alphaherpesvirus 9 (EHV-9; 99.6% and 99.8%, respectively) in contrast to the neuropathogenic T953 strain of EHV-1 (94.7% and 96.6%, respectively). Although zebras are considered the natural host for EHV-9, we document an unusual acute systemic, fatal EHV-9 infection in a 2-y-old Grant’s zebra.
AB - A 2-y-old female Grant’s zebra (Equus quagga [burchellii] boehmi) was presented with a clinical history of depression, anorexia, and weakness of 1-wk duration. Postmortem examination identified ulcers on the tongue and palate; a large abscess adjacent to the larynx; left lung consolidation; mild swelling, darkening, and congestion of the liver with accentuation of the lobular pattern; and edema and congestion of the distal small and large intestines. Histologic examination identified necrotizing bronchopneumonia, necrotizing hepatitis, nephritis, and enterocolitis. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions were detected in syncytial cells and degenerate bronchial epithelium in the lungs and in some hepatocytes associated with necrotic foci. Bacterial cultures of the lung, liver, and laryngeal abscess failed to detect any significant pathogen. Lung and liver tested positive for equine herpesvirus with neuropathogenic marker by real-time PCR. Subsequently, equine herpesvirus was isolated in tissue culture, and the entire viral DNA polymerase gene (ORF30) was sequenced. The zebra lung isolate had a very close nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity to equid alphaherpesvirus 9 (EHV-9; 99.6% and 99.8%, respectively) in contrast to the neuropathogenic T953 strain of EHV-1 (94.7% and 96.6%, respectively). Although zebras are considered the natural host for EHV-9, we document an unusual acute systemic, fatal EHV-9 infection in a 2-y-old Grant’s zebra.
KW - EHV-9
KW - Equid alphaherpesvirus 9
KW - equine herpesviruses
KW - Grant’s zebra
KW - zebra herpesvirus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85045289593&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85045289593&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1040638718767722
DO - 10.1177/1040638718767722
M3 - Article
C2 - 29648506
AN - SCOPUS:85045289593
VL - 30
SP - 580
EP - 583
JO - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
JF - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
SN - 1040-6387
IS - 4
ER -