Comparison of the Diagnostic Sensitivity of Nasopharyngeal and Nasal Swabs and Use of Viral Loads for the Molecular Diagnosis of Equine Herpesvirus-1 Infection

摘要

The nasopharyngeal swabbing technique for the molecular detection of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is not well tolerated in horses; nasal swabbing represents a viable alternative. Nasal swabs seem to be diagnostically more sensitive than nasopharyngealswabs for the detection of low EHV-1 loads in naturally exposed horses. With regard to EHV-1 viral-load signatures in blood and nasal secretions, differences between clinically affected and subclinically affected horses and between those in the febrileand neurological stages of the disease are present on nasal swabs. The finding of high viral loads in the nasal secretions of neurological horses confirms their importance as a potential source of contagion for other horses and highlights the need for imposition of strict biosecurity measures when faced with horses with suspected or confirmed neurological EHV-1 infection. Our results also support the need for development of a consensus on the use and interpretation of molecular diagnostic techniques inthe evaluation of field cases of suspected EHV-1 infection.