Equine Rotavirus

Question 1

What is the most common cause of foal enteritis?

Answer 1

equine rotavirus

Question 2

What type of horse does rotavirus affect?

Answer 2

only affects foals

Question 3

How do foals get rotavirus?

Answer 3

it is unknown

Question 4

Can mares shed the virus?

Answer 4

no

Question 5

How long can the virus remain viable in the environment?

Answer 5

as long as 9 months

Question 6

When is there a potential for an outbreak?

Answer 6

after the first clinical case appears

Question 7

What animals shed the virus into the environment?

Answer 7

large concentrations shed by diarrheic animals

Question 8

How is rotavirus transmitted?

Answer 8

by the fecal-oral route through contaminated feces or fomites (eating poop)

Question 9

Is rotavirus contagious?

Answer 9

yes, highly contagious

Question 10

What is the incubation period of rotavirus?

Answer 10

12-24 hours

Question 11

What % of broodmares in highly populated equine areas are seropositive?

Answer 11

close to 100%

Question 12

What age of foals are affected?

Answer 12

2-155 days of age

Question 13

How long does diarrhea last?

Answer 13

1-9 days

Question 14

How long does virus shedding continue for after diarrhea recedes?

Answer 14

up to 3 days

Question 15

Can a foal get rotavirus again after having the virus?

Answer 15

no

Question 16

What is the mortality of rotavirus?

Answer 16

low with supportive care

Question 17

What is the morbidity of rotavirus?

Answer 17

high morbidity

Question 18

When can foals come out of isolation?

Answer 18

3 days after diarrhea has stopped

Question 19

What outbreak occurred in 2021 in Kentucky?

Answer 19

Novel Rotavirus (type B)
-no vaccine available

Question 20

Pathogenesis of rotavirus?

Answer 20

-destroys the villous tips in duodenum and jejunum, blunting the villi
-Result: hyperosmotic solution in intestine, malabsorption and maldigestion of nutrients (influx of water into the intestinal lumen)

Question 21

Clinical signs of rotavirus:

Answer 21

-lethargy, decreased suckling, diarrhea (paste or watery)
-may be projectile diarrhea
-fever may or may not be present
-dehydration

Question 22

What is the commercial diagnosis?

Answer 22

fecal samples (submitted within 8 hours or refrigerated)
-results within 15 minutes

Question 23

Is virus isolation reliable?

Answer 23

no
-rotavirus is difficult to grow in cell culture

Question 24

Is serology reliable?

Answer 24

no

Question 25

How many negative tests does it take to rule out rotavirus?

Answer 25

3

Question 26

What are some diagnoses that may differentiate from rotavirus?

Answer 26

-salmonella
-clostridium
-parasites

Question 27

Treatment of rotavirus:

Answer 27

-IV fluids with electrolytes
-peptobysmol
-mineral oil
-activated charcoal (binds toxins so horse can poop it out)
-possibly antibiotics
-NSAIDS for pain
-omeprazole to prevent gastric ulcers
-clean and dry stalls
-diaper rash creams

Question 28

What should the stall be made out of with a sick horse?

Answer 28

painted cinderblocks – easy to clean and disinfect (not porous)
-wood is not easy to disinfect/clean

Question 29

What is the pH rotavirus is stable in?

Answer 29

pH 3-7

Question 30

What is rotavirus resistant to?

Answer 30

-iodophor
-quaternary ammonium
-chlorine
-bleach

Question 31

What can inactivate the virus?

Answer 31

-ethanol
-formalin

Question 32

Is rotavirus easy to disinfect for?

Answer 32

no

Question 33

When should pregnant mares be vaccinated for rotavirus?

Answer 33

8, 9, and 10 months

Question 34

Management to prevent rotavirus?

Answer 34

-cleanliness
-do not spread manure or muck of affected animals to pasture
-compost manure

Question 35

What are other causes of diarrhea in foals?

Answer 35

-salmonella
-clostridium perfringens and C. difficile (hemorrhagic diarrhea in foals)
-coronavirus
-lawsonia (rickettsia)
-cryptosporidium (protozoa)
-parasite: strongyles westeri