Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Clones Of Streptococcus Zooepidemicus From Outbreaks Of Hemorrhagic Canine Pneumonia And Associated Immune Responses, Sridhar Velineni, John F. Timoney, Kim Russell, Heidi J. Hamlen, Patricia Pesavento, William D. Fortney, P. Cynda Crawford

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Acute hemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus has emerged as a major disease of shelter dogs and greyhounds. S. zooepidemicus strains differing in multilocus sequence typing (MLST), protective protein (SzP), and M-like protein (SzM) sequences were identified from 9 outbreaks in Texas, Kansas, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Clonality based on 2 or more isolates was evident for 7 of these outbreaks. The Pennsylvania and Nevada outbreaks also involved cats. Goat antisera against acutely infected lung tissue as well as convalescent-phase sera reacted with a mucinase (Sz115), hyaluronidase (HylC), InlA domain-containing cell surface-anchored protein (INLA), membrane-anchored protein (MAP), SzP, …

Animal Arterivirus Infections, Denis Archambault, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya, Raymond R. R. Rowland, Hanchun Yang, Dongwan Yoo

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

No abstract.

Equine Arteritis Virus Does Not Induce Interferon Production In Equine Endothelial Cells: Identification Of Nonstructural Protein 1 As A Main Interferon Antagonist, Yun Young Go, Yanhua Li, Zhenhai Chen, Mingyuan Han, Dongwan Yoo, Ying Fang, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of equine arteritis virus (EAV) on type I interferon (IFN) production. Equine endothelial cells (EECs) were infected with the virulent Bucyrus strain (VBS) of EAV and expression of IFN-β was measured at mRNA and protein levels by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and IFN bioassay using vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the green fluorescence protein (VSV-GFP), respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR results showed that IFN-β mRNA levels in EECs infected with EAV VBS were not increased compared to those in mock-infected cells. Consistent with quantitative RT-PCR, Sendai virus- (SeV-) induced type I IFN production was …

The Roles Of Orthopaedic Pathology And Genetic Determinants In Equine Cervical Stenotic Myelopathy, Jennifer Gail Janes

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) is an important musculoskeletal and neurologic disease of the horse. Clinical disease occurs due to malformations of the vertebrae in the neck causing stenosis of the cervical vertebral canal and subsequent spinal cord compression. The disease is multifactorial in nature, therefore a clearer understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of CSM will allow for improved management and therapeutic practices. This thesis examines issues of equine CSM diagnosis, skeletal tissue pathology, and inherited genetic determinants utilizing advances in biomedical imaging technologies and equine genomics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data provided a more complete assessment of the cervical …

Modulation Of Type-I Interferon Mediated Immune Response: A Novel Innate Immune Evasion Strategy Of Equine Herpesvirus 1, Sanjay Sarkar

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of the major viral pathogens causing respiratory disease, abortion, perinatal mortality and neurologic disease among horses resulting in significant economic losses to the equine industry. The virus can also remain latent in the horses and recrudesce at any time. Type-I interferons (IFNs) act as a first line of defense against many viral infections.

In this study we investigated the type-I IFN response against the neuropathogenic T953 strain of EHV-1 in equine endothelial cells (EECs). The results showed that after a transient induction of IFN-β mRNA as well as protein at an early time (3h) post …

Evaluation Of The Susceptibility And Humoral Immune Response Of Foals To Rhodococcus Equi Infection, Macarena G. Sanz

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

While Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) remains the most common cause of subacute or chronic granulomatous bronchopneumonia in foals, development of a relevant model to study this bacterium has proven difficult. As a result, the reasons for the underlying foal’s susceptibility to this disease are not well understood. Furthermore, data regarding the immune response of foals to R. equi infection remains controversial. We hypothesized that foals are susceptible to R. equi early in life and that this susceptibility decreases with age. Also, we hypothesized that specific subclasses of IgG antibodies to the virulence-associated protein of R. equi, VapA, …

Anti-Müllerian Hormone In Stallions And Mares: Physiological Variations, Clinical Applications, And Molecular Aspects, Anthony N.J. Claes

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a homodimeric glycoprotein that is best known for its role in regression of the Müllerian duct in the male fetus. Accumulating evidence indicates that AMH also has an important role during different physiological processes after birth. In contrast to other species, relatively little is known about AMH in the horse. In chapter one, developmental and seasonal changes in serum AMH concentrations in male horses were determined, and the use of AMH for determination of retained cryptorchid testes was established. In chapter two, the interrelationship between plasma AMH concentrations, antral follicle counts (AFC), and age in mares …

Role Of Viral And Host Factors In Influenza Virus Mediated Inhibition Of Interleukin-23, Ashish Tiwari

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Influenza virus is one of the major respiratory pathogens of humans as well as animals, including equines. There is an increasing evidence that bacterial infections are the most common cause of the death during influenza. In horses also, secondary bacterial pneumonia can lead to death, and surviving horses may take up to six months for the complete recovery resulting in heavy economic loss to the equine industry. Interleukin (IL)-23 mediated innate immune response has been shown to protect the host from various respiratory bacterial infections. However, studies to investigate the role of host and viral factors in the regulation of …

Examination Of The Snsag Surface Antigen Gene Family In Sarcocystis Neurona, Ablesh Gautam

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Sarcocystis neurona is a protozoan parasite that causes the serious neurologic disease equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). The life cycle of S. neurona progresses through multiple developmental stages that differ morphologically and molecularly. The S. neurona merozoite surface is covered by multiple related proteins, which are orthologous to the surface antigen (SAG) gene family of Toxoplasma gondii. The SAG surface antigens in T. gondii and another related parasite Neospora caninum are life cycle stage-specific and seem necessary for parasite transmission and persistence of infection. The present research was conducted to explore the gene family of SnSAGs in S. …

Studies On Equine Placentitis, Igor Frederico Canisso

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Two types of placentitis were studied: ascending and nocardioform placentitis. Although the first diagnosis of nocardioform placentitis was made three decades ago, little is known about the disease, due to the lack of an experimental model. In attempt to develop a research model, Crossiela equi was inoculated through intrauterine, intravenous, intrapharyngeal, and oral routes, but none of the routes resulted in nocardioform placentitis. This may indicate that unidentified factors may play a role in disease pathogenesis and that simple presence of bacteria is not sufficient to induce nocardioform placentitis. The second and major component of this dissertation involved the identification …

Analysis Of Unannotated Equine Transcripts Identified By Mrna Sequencing, Stephen J. Coleman, Zheng Zeng, Matthew S. Hestand, Jinze Liu, James N. Macleod

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Sequencing of equine mRNA (RNA-seq) identified 428 putative transcripts which do not map to any previously annotated or predicted horse genes. Most of these encode the equine homologs of known protein-coding genes described in other species, yet the potential exists to identify novel and perhaps equine-specific gene structures. A set of 36 transcripts were prioritized for further study by filtering for levels of expression (depth of RNA-seq read coverage), distance from annotated features in the equine genome, the number of putative exons, and patterns of gene expression between tissues. From these, four were selected for further investigation based on predicted …

Envelope Determinants Of Equine Lentiviral Vaccine Protection, Jodi K. Craigo, Corin Ezzelarab, Sheila J. Cook, Chong Liu, David W. Horohov, Charles J. Issel, Ronald C. Montelaro

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Lentiviral envelope (Env) antigenic variation and associated immune evasion present major obstacles to vaccine development. The concept that Env is a critical determinant for vaccine efficacy is well accepted, however defined correlates of protection associated with Env variation have yet to be determined. We reported an attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine study that directly examined the effect of lentiviral Env sequence variation on vaccine efficacy. The study identified a significant, inverse, linear correlation between vaccine efficacy and increasing divergence of the challenge virus Env gp90 protein compared to the vaccine virus gp90. The report demonstrated approximately 100% protection …

Svsxp: A Strongylus Vulgaris Antigen With Potential For Prepatent Diagnosis, Ulla V. Andersen, Daniel K. Howe, Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam, Nils Toft, Craig R. Reinemeyer, Eugene T. Lyons, Susanne N. Olsen, Jesper Monrad, Peter Nejsum, Martin K. Nielsen

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses. Strongylus vulgaris, the most pathogenic of the large strongyles, is known for its extensive migration in the mesenteric arterial system. The lifecycle of S. vulgaris is characterised by a long prepatent period where the migrating larvae are virtually undetectable as there currently is no test available for diagnosing prepatent S. vulgaris infection. Presence of S. vulgaris larvae in the arterial system causes endarteritis and thrombosis with a risk of non-strangulating intestinal infarctions. Emergence of anthelmintic resistance among cyathostomins has led to recommendations of reduced treatment intensity by targeting horses that exceed a …

Genetic Diversity In The Modern Horse Illustrated From Genome-Wide Snp Data, Jessica L. Petersen, James R. Mickelson, E. Gus Cothran, Lisa S. Andersson, Jeanette Axelsson, Ernie Bailey, Danika Bannasch, Matthew M. Binns, Alexandre S. Borges, Pieter Brama, Artur Da Câmara Machado, Ottmar Distl, Michela Felicetti, Laura Fox-Clipsham, Kathryn T. Graves, Gérard Guérin, Bianca Haase, Telhisa Hasegawa, Karin Hemmann, Emmeline W. Hill, Tosso Leeb, Gabriella Lindgren, Hannes Lohi, Maria Susana Lopes, Beatrice A. Mcgivney, Sofia Mikko, Nicholas Orr, M. Cecilia T. Penedo, Richard J. Piercy, Marja Raekallio, Stefan Rieder, Knut H. Røed, Maurizio Silvestrelli, June Swinburne, Teruaki Tozaki, Mark Vaudin, Claire M. Wade, Molly E. Mccue

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Horses were domesticated from the Eurasian steppes 5,000-6,000 years ago. Since then, the use of horses for transportation, warfare, and agriculture, as well as selection for desired traits and fitness, has resulted in diverse populations distributed across the world, many of which have become or are in the process of becoming formally organized into closed, breeding populations (breeds). This report describes the use of a genome-wide set of autosomal SNPs and 814 horses from 36 breeds to provide the first detailed description of equine breed diversity. F(ST) calculations, parsimony, and distance analysis demonstrated relationships among the breeds that largely reflect …

Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals Selection For Important Traits In Domestic Horse Breeds, Jessica L. Petersen, James R. Mickelson, Aaron K. Rendahl, Stephanie J. Valberg, Lisa S. Andersson, Jeanette Axelsson, Ernie Bailey, Danika Bannasch, Matthew M. Binns, Alexandre S. Borges, Pieter Brama, Artur Da Câmara Machado, Stefano Capomaccio, Katia Cappelli, E. Gus Cothran, Ottmar Distl, Laura Fox-Clipsham, Kathryn T. Graves, Gérard Guérin, Bianca Haase, Telhisa Hasegawa, Karin Hemmann, Emmeline W. Hill, Tosso Leeb, Gabriella Lindgren, Hannes Lohi, Maria Susana Lopes, Beatrice A. Mcgivney, Sofia Mikko, Nicholas Orr, M. Cecilia T. Penedo, Richard J. Piercy, Marja Raekallio, Stefan Rieder, Knut H Røed, June Swinburne, Teruaki Tozaki, Mark Vaudin, Claire M. Wade, Molly E. Mccue

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Intense selective pressures applied over short evolutionary time have resulted in homogeneity within, but substantial variation among, horse breeds. Utilizing this population structure, 744 individuals from 33 breeds, and a 54,000 SNP genotyping array, breed-specific targets of selection were identified using an F(ST)-based statistic calculated in 500-kb windows across the genome. A 5.5-Mb region of ECA18, in which the myostatin (MSTN) gene was centered, contained the highest signature of selection in both the Paint and Quarter Horse. Gene sequencing and histological analysis of gluteal muscle biopsies showed a promoter variant and intronic SNP of MSTN were each significantly associated with …

Current Therapeutic Approaches To Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, L. Dirikolu, Jonathan H. Foreman, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is the most important infectious neurologic disease of horses in the Western Hemisphere. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis can interfere with a horse's ability to race, work, and perform; untreated, EPM can be lethal. Antemortem diagnosis of EPM is challenging, requiring careful evaluation of the animal's history, clinical signs, and laboratory data, with rigorous exclusion of other causes.

Therapeutic approaches to EPM are evolving. First-generation therapeutic approaches for EPM were based on the classic anti–Toxoplasma gondii pyrimethamine–sulfonamide combinations; treatment is prolonged and can be associated with a considerable relapse rate, which may be associated with the difficulty in …

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis: Investigation Of Genetic Susceptibility And Assessment Of An Equine Infection Method, Breanna M. Gaubatz

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a progressive neurological disease of horses caused by Sarcocystis neurona. Two projects were conducted to identify factors involved in the development of EPM. The first study explored a possible genetic susceptibility to EPM by attempting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue from 24 definitively-positive EPM horses. DNA extracted from tissues older than 14 months was inadequate for SNP analysis on the Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip probably due to degradation and formalin cross-linking. Results were inconclusive as analysis was not possible with the small sample set. The second study evaluated an …

Determination Of Farm-Specific Lawsonia Intracellularis Seroprevalence In Central Kentucky Thoroughbreds And The Identification Of Factors Contributing To Equine Proliferative Enteropathy, Allen E. Page

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Lawsonia intracellularis and the disease it causes in horses, equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), is an emerging pathogen of increasing importance to the horse industry from both an economic and welfare standpoint. Long recognized as an economically important disease of swine, the hallmark of EPE is a protein-losing enteropathy, where affected horses suffer weight loss and some ultimately succumb to the disease despite aggressive treatment. There are currently no known EPE preventative measures and the epidemiology of the disease remains poorly defined. While EPE is a sporadic disease affecting less than 25% of exposed horses, some farms experience clinical cases year …

Chondrodysplasia-Like Dwarfism In The Miniature Horse, John E. Eberth

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Dwarfism is considered one of the most recognized congenital defects of animals and humans and can be hereditary or sporadic in cause and expression. There are two general morphologic categories within this vastly diverse disease. These categories are disproportionate and proportionate dwarfism and within each of these there are numerous phenotypes which have been extensively described in humans, and to a lesser extent in dogs, cattle, mice, chickens, and other domestic species. Ponies and Miniature horses largely differ from full size horses only by their stature. Ponies are often defined as those whose height is not greater than 14.2 hands; …

Veterinary Specialty Certification: Analyzing The Value Of Certification Through The American Board Of Veterinary Practitioners, Jeff Allen

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

When it comes to professional certification a number of potential benefits can be cited by the organizations that offer them. Self-improvement, recognition by peers, public benefit and enhanced career opportunities are just a few of the frequently mentioned values associated with certification programs. This study was conducted to identify the primary benefits of certification for the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) by recording and analyzing the perceived value of ABVP certification within the veterinary community. An online survey was developed to collect data from ABVP certified and non-certified veterinarians, relying heavily on the Perceived Value of Certification Tool (PVCT). …

A Toxicology And Clinical Study Of Post Race Epitaxis Associated With Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage In Thoroughbred Race Horses At The Racecourse Rinconada, Caracas, Venezuela, Abelardo Morales Briceno, Diana Villoria Leon, Kimberly Brewer, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to describe cases of epistaxis associated with post-race Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) in Thoroughbred horses at the Hippodrome "La Rinconada", Caracas, Venezuela, through a clinic pathological study. We studied a total of 29 cases of epistaxis post-race in Thoroughbred horses at the Hippodrome La Rinconada, Caracas, Venezuela, which is 2,950 meters above sea level. The study included horses between the ages of 2-5 years, 16 stallions and 13 mares, weighing between 450-510 kg. They underwent a clinical examination, although horses presenting with epistaxis were in an emergency situation. Samples of blood and urine …

Development Of One-Step Taqman® Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Pcr And Conventional Reverse Transcription-Pcr Assays For The Detection Of Equine Rhinitis A And B Viruses, Zhengchun Lu, Peter J. Timoney, Jena White, Udeni B R Balasuriya

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Equine rhinitis viruses A and B (ERAV and ERBV) are common equine respiratory viruses belonging to the family Picornaviridae. Sero-surveillance studies have shown that these two viral infections are prevalent in many countries. Currently, the diagnosis of ERAV and ERBV infections in horses is mainly based on virus isolation (VI). However, the sensitivity of VI testing varies between laboratories due to inefficient viral growth in cell culture and lack of cytopathic effect. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop molecular diagnostic assays (real-time RT-PCR [rRT-PCR] and conventional RT-PCR [cRT-PCR] assays) to detect and distinguish ERAV from ERBV …

Inflammatory Responses To Induced Infectious Endometritis In Mares Resistant Or Susceptible To Persistent Endometritis, Mette Christoffersen, Elizabeth Woodward, Anders M. Bojesen, Stine Jacobsen, Morten R. Petersen, Mats H. T. Troedsson, Henrik Lehn-Jensen

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to evaluate the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, IL-1 receptor antagonist [ra] and serum amyloid A (SAA) in endometrial tissue and circulating leukocytes in response to uterine inoculation of 105 colony forming units (CFU) Escherichia coli in mares. Before inoculation, mares were classified as resistant or susceptible to persistent endometritis based on their uterine inflammatory response to infusion of 109 killed spermatozoa and histological assessment of the endometrial quality. Endometrial biopsies were obtained 3, 12, 24 and 72 hours (h) after bacterial inoculation and …

Genetically Engineered Equine Influenza Virus And Uses Thereof, Peter Palese, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Thomas Chambers

Veterinary Science Faculty Patents

The present invention relates, in general, to attenuated equine influenza viruses having an impaired ability to antagonize the cellular interferon (IFN) response, and the use of such attenuated viruses in vaccine and pharmaceutical formulations. In particular, the invention relates to attenuated equine influenza viruses having modifications to an equine NS1 gene that diminish or eliminate the ability of the NS1 gene product to antagonize the cellular IFN response. These viruses replicate in vivo, but demonstrate decreased replication, virulence and increased attenuation, and therefore are well suited for use in live virus vaccines, and pharmaceutical formulations.

Method For Screening For A Tobiano Coat Color Genotype, Ernest Bailey, Samantha A. Brooks

Veterinary Science Faculty Patents

A method for screening for a Tobiano genotype includes obtaining a nucleic acid from an equine animal, and analyzing the nucleic acid for the presence of an inversion in a chromosome ECA3q which is indicative of the genotype for Tobiano. The method includes detecting at least one of a telomeric breakpoint of an inverted ECA3q chromosome and/or a centromeric breakpoint of an inverted ECA3q chromosome. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid may be analyzed by the steps of hybridizing the group of probes or primers having the sequences set forth herein in SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO: 9, and …

A High Density Snp Array For The Domestic Horse And Extant Perissodactyla: Utility For Association Mapping, Genetic Diversity, And Phylogeny Studies, Molly E. Mccue, Danika L. Bannasch, Jessica L. Petersen, Jessica Gurr, Ernie Bailey, Matthew M. Binns, Ottmar Distl, Gérard Guérin, Telhisa Hasegawa, Emmeline W. Hill, Tosso Leeb, Gabriella Lindgren, M Cecilia T. Penedo, Knut H. Røed, Oliver A. Ryder, June E. Swinburne, Teruaki Tozaki, Stephanie J. Valberg, Mark Vaudin, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Claire M. Wade, James R. Mickelson

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

An equine SNP genotyping array was developed and evaluated on a panel of samples representing 14 domestic horse breeds and 18 evolutionarily related species. More than 54,000 polymorphic SNPs provided an average inter-SNP spacing of ∼43 kb. The mean minor allele frequency across domestic horse breeds was 0.23, and the number of polymorphic SNPs within breeds ranged from 43,287 to 52,085. Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) in most breeds declined rapidly over the first 50-100 kb and reached background levels within 1-2 Mb. The extent of LD and the level of inbreeding were highest in the Thoroughbred and lowest in the …

Ingestion Of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Seed Induces Peripheral Vasoconstriction But Does Not Affect Cyclicity In Non-Pregnant Mares, And A Population Of Biogenic Amine Receptors Relative To Vasoconstriction Is Identified, Daniel Andrew Hestad

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Three experiments were conducted to explore the effect of fescue toxicosis on vasoconstriction and various parameters of the estrous cycle. In the experiment of Chapter 3, a 2x2 crossover experimental design with repeated measures was implemented to test whether the ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed would alter blood hormone concentrations of prolactin, progesterone, and estradiol, interovulatory intervals, and corpus luteum blood flow. Also, Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess whether palmar artery and palmar vein lumen diameter, area, circumference, and resistivity index could be altered by the ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed. Ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed …

The Transmission Dynamics Of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (Ehv-1) Infection In Outbreaks Characterized Predominately By Neurologic Or Respiratory Illness, Barry Jay Meade

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Formalized epidemiological field investigations were conducted to compare and contrast the transmission dynamics of EHV-1 neurological disease among horses stabled at Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky and of EHV-1 respiratory illness among horses stabled in the student barn at Murray State University. Differences were assessed by means of statistical and mathematical modeling techniques applied to survey and biological data collected over the course of the respective disease events.

Regression methods applied to survey data enabled the construction of a statistical model to predict a date of onset of illness for horses within each equine cohort. Comparisons of the epidemic curves …

Breeding Induced Endometritis In The Mare: The Local Innate Immune Response, Elizabeth Moran Woodward

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Uterine inflammation after breeding is considered necessary for the clearance of excess semen and debris from the uterus. A subpopulation of mares fails to clear the inflammation in a timely fashion, and develops a persistent breeding induced endometritis (PBIE). Experiments were preformed to evaluate correlations of PBIE to endometrial quality and age. Mares of advanced age and poor endometrial quality had a higher incidence of PBIE. In addition, mares fluctuated in susceptibility to PBIE from one season to the next. The uterine inflammatory gene expression in susceptible and resistant mares within the first 24 hours after breeding was investigated. The …

Development Of Molecular Diagnostic Assays For Equine Respiratory Viruses And Analysis Of The Role Of Equine Arteritis Virus Envelope Proteins In The Early Events Of Virus Entry, Zhengchun Lu

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

There is an urgent need for detection of viral respiratory pathogens to identify the causal agent(s) involved and to prevent the spread of related diseases. The first part of this dissertation focuses on development, optimization and validation of Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assays for the detection of several common equine viral pathogens: equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine influenza virus and equine rhinitis viruses A and B. Emphasis of the second part of this dissertation is on studying the role of EAV envelope proteins in virus attachment and entry. Using an infectious cDNA clone of EAV and reverse …