Source: UNIV OF CALIFORNIA (VET-MED) submitted to NRP
SURVEY OF ENDEMIC RESPIRATORY VIRUSES AT SANTA ANITA AND HOLLYWOOD PARK RACETRACKS
Sponsoring Institution
Cooperating Schools of Veterinary Medicine
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
STATE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0198835
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 1, 2003
Project End Date
May 31, 2004
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF CALIFORNIA (VET-MED)
(N/A)
DAVIS,CA 95616
Performing Department
PATHOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY
Non Technical Summary
Respiratory infections are common in horses. This project will help us to more accurately delineate the causative viral agents of infectious upper respiratory disease outbreaks.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
3113810102010%
3113810104010%
3113810109020%
3113810110110%
3114030102010%
3114030104020%
3114030109010%
3114030110110%
Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases;

Subject Of Investigation
4030 - Viruses; 3810 - Horses, ponies, and mules;

Field Of Science
1040 - Molecular biology; 1090 - Immunology; 1101 - Virology; 1020 - Physiology;
Goals / Objectives
Viruses have long been implicated as the culprits in spontaneous outbreaks of respiratory infections in horses, but the relative importance of different viruses such as herpes, influenza and rhinoviruses is poorly defined. This uncertainty regarding the relative importance and role of these different viral agents is due, in part, to the difficulty in definitively identifying them during outbreaks of respiratory disease.
Project Methods
In this project TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) will be used to detect potential causative viruses associated with spontaneous occurrence of respiratory disease amongst racing Thoroughbreds in southern California.

Progress 06/01/03 to 05/31/04

Outputs
Viral infections are an imporant cause of respiratory disease in Thoroughbred horses. We collected nasal swabs from a cohort of young racing horses at 2 racetracks in California, and evaluated these by direct RT-PCR assay for the presence of equine herpesviruses (1-5), adenoviruses (, 2), rhinitis viruses A and B, and equine arteritis virus. Only equine herpesviruses were detected in the various samples, consistent with the lack of respiratory disease in this cohort of horses during the study. The RT-PCR assays we used provide clinicians with a sensitive and specific approach to the diagnosis of viral respiratory disease in horses, but the data confirm that considerable caution must be exercised in interpreting the significance of positive results for equine herpesviruses in particular.

Impacts
Our studies better define the virus flora of the equine respiratory tract, which is critical to the accurate diagnosis of viral respiratory disease in young racing thoroughbred horses.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
A cohort of young racing thoroughbred horses was identified and sampled repeatedly. Polymerase chain reaction assays have been developed to detect equine respiratory viruses (herpes, adeno, rhinitis, influenza and viral arteritis). Evaluation of the samples is ongoing.

Impacts
Our studies are defining normal virus flora of the equine respiratory tract, as well as identifying the virus causes of respiratory disease in young racing thoroughbred horses.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period