Musoles-Cuenca Beatriz, Padilla-Blanco Miguel, Vitale Valentina, Lorenzo-Bermejo Teresa, de la Cuesta-Torrado María, Ballester Beatriz, Maiques Elisa, Rubio-Guerri Consuelo, Velloso Alvarez Ana
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain.
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain.
Viruses. 2025 Jun 18;17(6):862. doi: 10.3390/v17060862.
Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) is a significant pathogen within the subfamily, causing respiratory disease, abortions, and, in severe cases, equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). While nasal swabs and blood samples are commonly used for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) diagnosis, variability in viral shedding necessitates exploring additional sample types. This study reports the first molecular detection of EHV-1 in ocular swabs from naturally infected horses during an outbreak in the Valencian Community in 2023. Nasal and ocular swabs were collected from ten symptomatic horses and analyzed via RT-PCR. EHV-1 was detected in all cases, with higher viral loads in nasal samples. Although nasal swabs remain the most reliable sample for EHV-1 detection, the presence of viral DNA in tear fluid suggests a previously unrecognized route of viral shedding. These findings support further investigation into the role of ocular secretions in the pathogenesis and epidemiology of EHV-1. Additional studies are needed to determine the clinical relevance and potential utility of ocular swabs in specific outbreak scenarios.
1型马疱疹病毒（EHV-1）是该亚科中的一种重要病原体，可引起呼吸道疾病、流产，严重时还会导致马疱疹病毒脑脊髓炎（EHM）。虽然鼻拭子和血液样本通常用于实时聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）诊断，但病毒脱落的变异性使得有必要探索其他样本类型。本研究报告了2023年巴伦西亚社区疫情期间首次从自然感染马的眼拭子中分子检测到EHV-1。从10匹有症状的马身上采集鼻拭子和眼拭子，并通过RT-PCR进行分析。所有病例均检测到EHV-1，鼻样本中的病毒载量更高。尽管鼻拭子仍然是检测EHV-1最可靠的样本，但泪液中存在病毒DNA表明存在一种以前未被认识的病毒脱落途径。这些发现支持进一步研究眼分泌物在EHV-1发病机制和流行病学中的作用。需要进行更多研究来确定眼拭子在特定疫情情况下的临床相关性和潜在用途。
