Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) induced abortions and paralysis in a Lipizzaner stud: a contribution to the classification of equine herpesviruses

Abstract

Out of 30 cases of abortion and perinatal deaths in a Lipizzaner stud in Austria 10 mares died after having shown central nervous system disturbances, ataxias and paralysis. The etiological agent of this “abortion storm” was equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). The restriction enzyme pattern of the DNA from 5 isolates recovered from fetuses has been analyzed and compared with the known reference strains of EHV-1, -2, -4 and an Austrian vaccine strain. The DNA restriction profiles of the Lipizzaner isolates as well as of the vaccine strain could be identified as being typical of abortigenic strains with minor variations. Such variations on the molecular biological level of the DNA do not justify characterization of the strains as neurovariants. The vaccine strain differed from other isolates investigated with 4 restriction endonucleases (Bam HI, Bgl II, Eco R I, Kpn I) which was due to a deletion in the unique short segment of the genome. The lack of similar DNA bands in two EHV-1 viruses, causing mild respiratory disease, as well as in the vaccine strain Prevaccinol is suggestive of lowered virulence. In contrast to one Lipizzaner isolate tested (strain Austria IV) the Austrian vaccine strain proved to be of strong neurovirulence for suckling mice.