Viruses Of The Pregnant Genital Tract Flashcards
WHat are the 4 mechanisms of reproductive failure caused by viral infection? Egs. of specific viruses?
- replication in foetus -> malformation and death eg. Shmallenburg, BVDV
- damage to placental blood vessels eg. PRRS, arteritis
- Sttress and pyrexia eg. Bluetongue, swine flu
- Combination of the above
Give potential horiozontal and vertical routees of transmission of viruses
> horizontal
- venereal
- spread to gential tract from other sites, esp. respiratory, haemotogenous or ascending
vertical
- transfer to offspring via haematogenous (placenta)
- ascending (genital tract)
- milk
How may virus be shed by carrier animals?
- semen eg. EVA
- respiratory secretions eg. herpes
- faeces eg. BVD
What must be remembered about shedding by carrier animaals
May be intermittent
What do the 3 main equine herpes viruses cause?
- EHV1: abortions, repiratory disease, paralysis
- EHV3: coital exanthema, genital pustules but NOT Abortion
- EHV4: respiratory disease, rarely isolatied abortions
Is EAV notifiable?
Yes
Which EHV is most prevalent in the UK herd?
EHV 1 - 90% crriers
Clinical sings of EHV1?
- Abortion last 3rd of pregnancy
- lung oedema
- multifocal necrosis of the liver, lungs and spleen
- abortion accompanies/shortly after ofetal death (fresh foetus)
HOw may EHV1 be diagnosed?
- PM fetus and placenta
- PCR or virus isolation (rare nowadays)
- microscopy (look for necrosis and viral inclusion bodies etc.)
- EHV1 immunostaining
How may EHV1 be prevented?
Isolate mares in last trimester, ^ biosecuiryt
- Vaccinate all horses (combination vax EHV1 and EHV4)
HOw should EHV be controlled once diagnosed?
- abortion: isolate affected mare
- collect foetus and placenta for Ag testing
- paired serum samples from mare (test rising AB titre) interpretation difficult as could be recrudescence due to stress of abortion or cause of abortion
What causes EVA?
Equine arteritis virus, an arterivirus
What condidiont is EVA similar to in pigs?
PRRS
How does EVA infect the horse?
Respiratory tract or semen
Pathogenesis of EVA?
EAV infects macropphages and endothelia cells and casues arteritis
Clinical signs of EAV abortion?
- variable in mare
- fever
- depression
- conjunctivitis (piink eye)
- abortion
- oedema in legs
How may dx of EVA be determined?
- PM foetus and placenta to detect virus
- virus neutralising Ab levels in mare high at abortion or rising between paired post abortion tutires (seroconversion)
What state may stallions infected with EAV enter? How may this cause problems with diagnosis?
Carrrier state - persistnently infected -> shedding of virus in semen without clinical signs
- can shed intermittently
- persists in accessory glands
When should EAV be suspected ?
Travel history
Can EAV persist in the mare?
No, once infected = immunity for life and clean
WHen is EVA notifiable?
- clinical signs in a stallion
- evidence of EAV infection by semen or blood testing
- clinical signs/lab results indicate EVA in a mare mated/AI within 14d
> used to track down stallion
How is EAV diagnosed?
- aborted foetus or semen samples
- virus isoltion or PCR
Control of EVA?
- movement restrcition
- vaccinate stallions
- ensure antibody negative before vaccination *
WHat type of virus is BVDV?
- Pestivirus (flaviviridae family)