<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Loss of pregnancy in mares is a major cause of economic and emotional impact for horse breeders. It can have many different infectious and noninfectious causes. The aim of this study was identification of the main viral causes of abortion in mares in Poland based on tissue samples from 180 aborted foetuses submitted for testing between 1999 and 2022.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>Tissues of aborted foetuses collected from different horse studs throughout Poland were tested for the presence of equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4 (EHV-1/-4) and if negative, for equine arteritis virus (EAV). The examination was performed using a PCR/reverse transcriptase PCR (1999–2012) and a quantitative PCR (2013–2022).</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>The cause of abortion was determined to be EHV-1 in 49.4% of cases (<italic>n</italic> = 89), whereas no EHV-4- or EAV-positive cases were found. The proportion of abortions due to EHV-1 differed between regions, with the highest percentage in the Lubelskie and Wielkopolskie provinces.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The results of the study indicate that EHV-1 is the most important viral infectious agent causing abortions in mares in Poland.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Loss of pregnancy in mares is a major cause of economic and emotional impact for horse breeders. It can have many different infectious and noninfectious causes. The aim of this study was identification of the main viral causes of abortion in mares in Poland based on tissue samples from 180 aborted foetuses submitted for testing between 1999 and 2022.


Material and Methods
Tissues of aborted foetuses collected from different horse studs throughout Poland were tested for the presence of equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4 (EHV-1/-4) and if negative, for equine arteritis virus (EAV). The examination was performed using a PCR/reverse transcriptase PCR (1999–2012) and a quantitative PCR (2013–2022).


Results
The cause of abortion was determined to be EHV-1 in 49.4% of cases (n = 89), whereas no EHV-4- or EAV-positive cases were found. The proportion of abortions due to EHV-1 differed between regions, with the highest percentage in the Lubelskie and Wielkopolskie provinces.


Conclusion
The results of the study indicate that EHV-1 is the most important viral infectious agent causing abortions in mares in Poland.

Retrospective study on equine viral abortions in Poland between 1999 and 2022

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Retrospective study on equine viral abortions in Poland between 1999 and 2022"}

Introduction
Loss of pregnancy in mares is a major cause of economic and emotional impact for horse breeders. It can have many different infectious and...

Period^a	EHV-1		EHV-4		EAV
	n/N	%	n/N	%	n/N	%
	1999–2012	20/63	31.7	0/63	0.0	0/43	0.0
2013–2022	69/117	59.0	0/117	0.0	0/48	0.0
All	89/180	49.4	0/180	0.0	0/91	0.0

Assay	Virus	Region	Primers / probes (5′ to 3′)	Size (bp)	Reference
			Forward: CATGTCAACGCACTCCCA
	EHV-1		Reverse: GGGTCGGGCGTTTCTGT	63
		gB	Probe: FAM-CCCTACGCTGCTCC-TAMRA		(9)
		gB	Forward: GGGCTATTGGATTACAGCGAGAT		(9)
QuantitativePCRs	EHV-4		Reverse: TAGAATCGGAGGGCGTGAAG	58
			Probe: VIC-CAGCGCCGTAACCAG-TAMRA
			Forward: GGCGACAGCCTACAAGTCACA
	EAV	N	Reverse: CGGCATCTGCAGTGAGTGA	204	(4)
			Probe: FAM-TTGCGGACCCGCATCTGACCAA-TAMRA
	EHV-1/-4		Forward: CTTGTGAGATCTAACCGCAC
	EHV-1	gB	Reverse: GCGTTATAGCTATCACGTCC	459 (EHV-1)	(13)
ConventionalPCRs	EHV-4		Reverse: CCTGCATAATGACAGCAGTG	942 (EHV-4)
	EAV	N	Forward: TCGATGGCGTCAAGA	395	(7)
	EAV	N	Reverse: GGTTCCTGGGTGGCTAATAACTACTTCAAC	395	(7)

Retrospective study on equine viral abortions in Poland between 1999 and 2022

Publié en ligne: 16 juin 2023

Pages: 155 - 160

Reçu: 06 sept. 2022

Accepté: 16 mars 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0019

Mots clés
abortion, EHV-1/-4, EAV, PCR, quantitative PCR

© 2023 Karol Stasiak et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

The numbers and percentages of abortion associated with EHV-1, -4 and EAV infections between 1999 and 2022

Primers and probes used for detection of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) between 1999 and 2022

Retrospective study on equine viral abortions in Poland between 1999 and 2022

Publié en ligne: 16 juin 2023

Pages: 155 - 160

Reçu: 06 sept. 2022

Accepté: 16 mars 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0019

Mots clésabortion, EHV-1/-4, EAV, PCR, quantitative PCR

© 2023 Karol Stasiak et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

The numbers and percentages of abortion associated with EHV-1, -4 and EAV infections between 1999 and 2022

Primers and probes used for detection of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) between 1999 and 2022

Mots clés
abortion, EHV-1/-4, EAV, PCR, quantitative PCR