SEROPREVALENCE OF MARE HERPES VIRUS IN THE BREEDING SEASON

Equine herpes virus (EHV) is a common virus in populations of equines worldwide, and the two most important viruses in this group are EHV-1 and EHV-4. It is well known that EHV-1 causes respiratory problems, abortion and neurological disease and EHV-4 is typically causing respiratory disease but may lead to abortion. The clinical picture includes: fever - which may be the only symptom, cough, increased amounts of nasal secretions, and without previous, abortions in the late stage of pregnancy and neurological
problems that usually involve the last extremity, and urinary tract. These viruses can be detected in a variety of tissues in aborted foals including lung, kidney, liver, spleen and nasal swabs, placenta and blood of live horses. A variety of techniques for diagnostic have been developed which including virus isolation, serology, PCR, real-time PCR and sequencing. The aim of this work was to establish the seroprevalence of herpes virus in reproductive mares. Clinical exams and blood samples were collected from seven mares in one stable which is located in west region of Vojvodina province, the animals are curently used for mating. All the animals in the stable are with a positive finding of antibody titre. The lowest titre of antibodies have animals that have just entered the reproductive cycle. Other symptoms attributed to herpes virus infection was not present, that can be attributed to a latent infection which is present in this case in 100% of the animals in the stable. However, the differential diagnosis should be done by viral isolation from aborted material, because the reproductive problems that occur may be attributed to other viruses.