Premium
Detection and molecular characterisation of equine infectious anaemia virus from field outbreaks in S lovenia
Author(s) -
Kuhar U.,
Završnik J.,
Toplak I.,
Malovrh T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/evj.12138
Subject(s) - biology , virology , polymerase chain reaction , equine infectious anemia , spleen , phylogenetic tree , amplicon , virus , aborted fetus , horse , fetus , genetics , gene , immunology , pregnancy , paleontology
Summary Reasons for performing this study In 2009, a surprisingly high number of animals seropositive for equine infectious anaemia virus ( EIAV ; 26 horses from 13 farms) were detected in S lovenia. Objectives To develop a polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) assay for the detection of the proviral nucleic acid, to phylogenetically characterise the Slovenian EIAV strains and to investigate whether transmission in utero occurred. Study design Cross‐sectional clinical study. Methods In total, 26 horses (including 2 foals and 4 pregnant mares) and 4 fetuses were examined in this study. A PCR assay using the EIAV F1 and EIAV R1 primers was designed and tested using genomic DNA extracted from 28 spleen samples, 18 whole blood samples and 17 peripheral blood leucocyte samples. Amplicons of 22 PCRs obtained from the spleen samples were subjected to direct DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Results All spleen samples from 22 adult animals were positive for EIAV by PCR , whereas whole blood and the peripheral blood leucocyte samples were positive from only 4 animals. Spleen samples from foals and fetuses were negative by PCR . The S lovenian EIAV sequences could be mapped to 9 different branches of the phylogenetic tree. Conclusions The PCR was able to detect different EIAV strains from spleen samples of seropositive animals detected in S lovenia. Phylogenetic analysis revealed high genetic diversity of the EIAV strains detected in S lovenia, with their closest relatives being E uropean strains. In utero transmission in pregnant mares did not occur.