Open AccessLatent Equine Herpesvirus‐1 in Trigeminal Ganglia and Equine Idiopathic Headshaking
Author(s) -
Aleman M.,
Pickles K.J.,
Simonek G.,
Madigan J.E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00855.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neuropathic pain , postherpetic neuralgia , horse , trigeminal nerve , anesthesia , biology , paleontology
Background Trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathic pain has been regarded as a putative cause of idiopathic headshaking in horses. Equine herpesvirus‐1 ( EHV ‐1) infection and resultant postherpetic pain have been suggested as a possible cause of such neuropathic pain. Hypothesis/Objectives To determine the presence of EHV ‐1 in the trigeminal ganglia of horses with idiopathic headshaking. Animals Nineteen horses: control (n = 11, 9 geldings, 2 mares, median age 11 years) and headshaking (n = 8, all geldings, median age 11.5 years) horses were sourced from the equine research herd and caseload at the V eterinary M edical T eaching H ospital. Methods Prospective study to determine the presence of EHV ‐1 latency in trigeminal ganglia of horses with idiopathic headshaking by real‐time PCR detection of the glycoprotein B ( gB ) gene and the DNA polymerase ( ORF 30) gene of EHV ‐1 in the absence of detectable late structural protein gene ( gB gene) mRNA . Control horses were used for comparison. A house keeping gene (equine GAPDH ) and positive and negative samples for EHV ‐1 were used for quality control. Results All samples from control horses and 7 of 8 headshaking horses were negative for EHV ‐1. One headshaking horse tested positive for a single copy of EHV ‐1 gene. Conclusions and Clinical Importance This study does not support a role for EHV ‐1 infection and presumed postherpetic pain in the etiopathogenesis of equine headshaking.