Investigation of Three Newly Identified Equine Parvoviruses in Blood and Nasal Fluid Samples of Clinically Healthy Horses and Horses with Acute Onset of Respiratory Disease

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The objective of the present study was to determine the molecular frequency of three recently identified parvoviruses (equine parvovirus hepatitis, equine parvovirus CSF and equine copivirus) in blood and respiratory secretions of 667 equids with acute onset of fever and respiratory signs and 87 clinically healthy horses. One hundred and seventeen sick horses tested qPCR-positive for at least one of the three parvoviruses. Ten clinically healthy horses tested qPCR-positive for one of the equine parvoviruses. The frequency of detection of the three equine parvoviruses was similar between sick and clinically healthy horses, suggesting that these newly characterized viruses do not appear to contribute to the clinical picture of equids with respiratory disease. In order to prove the clinical relevance of any of these newly identified equine parvoviruses, experimental challenge studies using pure, clonal inocula will be required. ABSTRACT: Three newly identified equine parvoviruses (equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H), equine parvovirus CSF (EqPV-CSF) and equine copivirus (Eqcopivirus)) have recently been discovered in horses with respiratory signs. However, the clinical impact of these three equine parvoviruses has yet to be determined. Nasal fluid samples and blood from 667 equids with acute onset of fever and respiratory signs submitted to a diagnostic laboratory were analyzed for the presence of common equine respiratory pathogens (equine influenza virus, equine herpesvirus-1/-4, equine rhinitis A and B virus, S. equi subspecies equi) as well as EqPV-H, EqPV-CSF and Eqcopivirus by qPCR. An additional 87 clinically healthy horses served as controls. One hundred and seventeen sick horses tested qPCR-positive for at least one of the three parvoviruses. Co-infections with common respiratory pathogens and parvoviruses were seen in 39 sick equids. All 87 clinically healthy horses tested qPCR-negative for all tested common respiratory pathogens and 10 healthy horses tested qPCR-positive for one of the equine parvoviruses. When the frequency of detection for EqPV-H, EqPV-CSF and Eqcopivirus of equids with respiratory signs was compared to that of clinically healthy horses, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05), suggesting that the three recently identified equine parvoviruses do not contribute to the clinical picture of equids with respiratory disease.