Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First confirmed report of equine coital exanthema in Uruguayan horses.
- Journal:
- Veterinary research communications
- Year:
- 2026
- Authors:
- Machado, Mizael et al.
- Affiliation:
- Plataforma de Investigació
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Equine Coital Exanthema (ECE) is a contagious disease in horses caused by a virus known as Equid alphaherpesvirus 3. In a recent outbreak in Uruguay, five mares developed skin lesions in their vaginal and perineal areas about a week after a stallion was introduced. The stallion had some minor sores as well. Tests on skin samples from one of the mares confirmed that the virus was present. While ECE usually resolves on its own, it can lead to significant economic issues for horse breeding due to the need to separate affected animals.
Abstract
Equine Coital Exanthema (ECE) is a contagious venereal disease caused by Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV‑3). Although ECE is self-limiting, it causes significant economic losses to the global equine industry due to the temporary segregation of affected mares and stallions from breeding activities. This report describes the epidemiological, clinical, histological, and molecular findings from an outbreak of ECE in Uruguayan horses. Seven days following the introduction of a stallion, five mares developed extensive papular and vesicular dermatitis in the vaginal and perineal regions. The stallion exhibited minimal preputial mucosal ulcerative lesions. Histological examination of skin biopsies from three affected mares revealed ulcerative dermatitis with intranuclear eosinophilic inclusion bodies in keratinocytes. Molecular confirmation of EHV‑3 infection was achieved by qPCR analysis of perineal skin samples from a mare with typical ECE lesions.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42105035/