engleski

Seroprevalence of equine rhinopneumonitis in Croatia

Equine rhinopneumonitis is acute viral infectious disease of horses caused by equine herpesvirus – 1 (EHV-1) and equine herpesvirus – 4 (EHV-4). A clinical signs varies regarding on infective virus type and host between respiratory illness, abortion and neurological form of disease. Disease is endemic in horse populations worldwide. Seroprevalence studies that have been performed in different countries showed that prevalence of equine rhinopneumonitis varies dependent on geographic location, breed and age of horses. In April 2009 two outbreaks were confirmed for the first time in Croatia with mild respiratory illness, abortion and four neurological cases with fatal end. Following study confirmed that disease was present in different horse population in Croatia at least since 2005 but it was unrecognized. Because of significant losses for horse industries and insufficient epidemiologically data, the aim of the study was to determinate current seroprevalence of equine rhinopneumonitis in Croatia. For this purpose 289 randomly selected horse sera from 19 Croatian counties were tested with virus neutralization test (VN-test) for equine rhinopneumonitis. In 174 tested horse sera specific antibodies to EHV-1/4 were founded. Determinate specific antibodies titre varied in range from 1:4 to 1:181. Results of this study showed that equine rhinopneumonitis is wide spread infection in all part of Croatia with seroprevalence of 60.2%. Wide range of determinate titres in animals implicate that equine rhinopneumonitis is endemic in horses in all parts of Croatia. In conclusions, equine rhinopneumonitis is wide spread endemic disease in horses in Croatia which indicates necesserity of conducting further control measures of disease in all parts of Croatia.

equine rhinopneumonitis; seroprevalence; Croatia

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