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PERINATAL FOAL MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH A HERPESVIRUS
Author(s) -
Dixon R. J.,
Hartley W. J.,
Hutchins D. R.,
Lepherd E. E.,
Feilen Caroline,
Jones R. F.,
Love Daria N.,
Sabine Margaret,
Wells Anne L.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1978.tb05512.x
Subject(s) - foal , histopathology , eosinophilic , autopsy , respiratory system , medicine , mortality rate , lung , outbreak , pathology , biology , genetics
SUMMARY An outbreak of perinatal foal mortality associated with a herpesvirus is described. Twenty two foals either were still‐born, or died soon after birth, or were weak and soon developed severe respiratory signs, or were normal at birth and developed respiratory symptoms 18 to 24 hours later. Elevated temperatures, heart and respiratory rates were constant features. The animals were severely leucopaenic, and showed an absolute neutropaenia. At autopsy the lungs were enlarged, and showed varying degrees of aeration and moderate to severe oedema and congestion. Histopathology showed an acute focal necrotising bronchiolitis with the presence of intranuclear eosinophilic inclusion bodies. Herpesvirus was recovered from 9 foals in cell culture and identified by electron microscopy.