1. Isolation and Characterisation of Equine Rhinopneumontis Virus and Other Equine Herpesviruses from Horses

Abstract

Equine herpesviruses (EH viruses) were isolated from 9 horses in three separate outbreaks of respiratory disease. The pattern of disease in the three stables is described and evidence is presented that some of the horses were ill, possibly as a result of recurrent infection, and that reactivation of a persistent, latent infection may have occurred. An ulcerative condition of the pharyngeal region was seen in some of the horses with EH virus infection. The cytopathogenicity for equine foetal kidney cells of the 9 EH viruses varied considerably. One isolate, EH 39 virus, which was recovered from an acute, upper respiratory tract infection, was rapidly cytopathic for equine foetal kidney cell c..