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DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST EQUINE VIRAL ARTERITIS VIRUS (EVAV) AND EQUINE HERPESVIRUS TYPE 1 (EHV-1) IN CART HORSES FROM CURITIBA AND SURROUNDINGS, SOUTHERN BRAZIL

M. C. C. S. Lara, K. E. Furman, I. R. Barros Filho, E. M. C. Villalobos, E. M. S. Cunha, Ivan Deconto, J. Bonacim, A. W. Biondo

Abstract


Approximately 1,500 cart horses with low access to veterinary assistance and their owners traffic daily through Curitiba and surroundings to collect recycling material, including paper, metal, plastic and glass. Viral diseases transmitted by aerosol are of
importance in equine medicine of exposed populations which share the common airspace. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against equine viral arteritis virus (EVAV) and equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in
cart horses of Curitiba and surroundings. A total of 97 samples were collected from crossbred cart horses, 51 males and 46 females, with average age of 15.3 years (from 4 months to 22 years) from April 2005 to June 2006, from Curitiba and São José dos Pinhais, Southern Brazil. All 97 samples tested were negative for EVAV. However, one horse from Curitiba (1/25) and four from
São José dos Pinhais (4/72) were found positive for EHV-1, performing a total of five horses (4.1%). These results demonstrated lower rates of EVAV and EHV-1 when compared to other studies in purebred horse populations or horses used for other purposes. In conclusion, despite cart horses undergo daily traffic in urban areas with low access to veterinary assistance,
they seem less exposed to the infection risk of equine viral arteritis virus and equine herpesvirus type 1 when compared to horses utilized for sports, exposition and reproduction.

Keywords


Cavalos de carroceiros; EVAV; EHV-1; Cart Horse; EHV



DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5380/avs.v11i3.7419