Comparison of nasal swabs and handmade foam cubes for detecting equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

The control of equine respiratory infections is a biosecurity challenge. Respiratory viruses are often rapidly detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on nasal swabs. In the past, some laboratories developed handmade techniques to increase the amount of nasal secretions collected, without comparing them with nasal swabs when qPCR replaced the use of viral culture. The objectives of this study were to compare nasal swabs and handmade foam cubes for i) the detection of a common equine herpesvirus (EHV-5) by qPCR, and ii) their tolerability. Forty-five polyester swabs and foam cubes were used to sample 9 horses 5 times. These were then analyzed by qPCR for EHV-5. Agreement of qPCR results (positive, suspect, negative) was assessed using the intraclass correlation (ICC) and the avoidance scores were compared using a proportional odds mixed model. The ICC showed moderate agreement (0.61, < 0.001). Twenty-seven percent of the samples were positive or suspect with either swabs or foam cubes, whereas 18% were strictly positive with swabs and 11% with foam cubes. Avoidance scores were not statistically different. Both methods have an acceptable agreement. Handmade foam cubes did not provide additional diagnostic value compared to polyester swabs, which is the method presently recommended.