Zebra-borne equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in non-African captive mammals?

ABDELGAWAD A, AZAB W, DAMIANI AM, BAUMGARTNER K, WILL H, OSTERRIEDER N, GREENWOOD AD

VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 169 p. 102 - 106

0378-1135

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was detected in an Indian rhinoceros (Rhinocerosunicornis), which was euthanized because of severe neurological disease. Encephalitis wassuspected and EHV-1 DNA was detected in brain, lung, and spleen tissues. The viral IR6protein was detected in lung tissues by Western blot analysis. Phylogenetic analyses ofEHV-1 sequences amplified from various tissues was nearly identical to one recentlydescribed that resulted in both non-fatal and fatal encephalitis in polar bears. Thisrepresents transmission of EHV-1 to a species that is not naturally sympatric with thenatural host of the virus and broadens the host range to Asian non-equid perissodactyls.