Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Aujeszky's disease in a horse.
- Journal:
- Zentralblatt fur Veterinarmedizin. Reihe B. Journal of veterinary medicine. Series B
- Year:
- 1990
- Authors:
- van den Ingh, T S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Pathology · Netherlands
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse was found to have serious neurological problems and inflammation of the brain and its surrounding tissues due to Aujeszky's disease, which is caused by a specific virus. Tests confirmed the presence of the virus in the horse's brain cells and showed that the horse's blood contained antibodies against the virus. When researchers infected the horse through its nose with a high dose of the virus, it displayed very intense but short-lived symptoms. While this experimental infection did lead to some antibodies that could neutralize the virus, it did not produce specific antibodies against a particular part of the virus. Overall, the treatment did not fully work as hoped.
Abstract
A horse with neurological signs and severe meningoencephalitis caused by Aujeszky's disease is described. The diagnosis was established by immunohistochemistry, DNA-in situ hybridization and serological tests. Aujeszky's disease virus antigen and Aujeszky's disease viral DNA were detected in neurons of the cerebrum. In the serum of the horse antibodies against Aujeszky's disease virus were detected in a virus neutralization test, in a blocking ELISA which specifically detects antibodies against the glycoprotein I (Ig) of the virus, in an indirect double sandwich ELISA and with colloidal gold immunoelectron microscopy which detects antibodies directed against the envelope and nucleocapsid of the virus. Intranasal infection of two points with a high dose of Aujeszky's disease virus caused very wild and transient signs. Although the experimental infection induced virus neutralizing antibodies, it failed to induce gI specific antibodies.
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