Equine herpesvirus 1 and neonatal foal mortality in northern India

Abstract

Summary: Tissue specimens including lung, liver and spleen obtained from 254 foals that died in the first few days of life were examined for equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). Virus was isolated in lamb kidney cell cultures and viral antigen was detected in tissues by the gel diffusion and serum neutralisation tests, showing 228 of the foals (89.7%) to be positive for EHV-1. Near-term foals infected in utero with EHV-1 were born weak but alive. Many had secondary bacterial infections with Salmonella abortus equi, Escherichia coli, Rhodococcus equi and Klebsiella.