Endothelial cell infection and thrombosis in paralysis caused by equid herpesvirus-1: equine stroke

Abstract

Eight mares were infected with equid herpesvirus-1 subtype 1 isolated from a case of equine paresis. In two mares killed at 4 d.p.i. immunofluorescence showed endothelial cell infection together with thrombosis in the rete arteriosus of the nasal mucosa and also in the spinal cord of one of these mares. Circulating platelet counts in the other six mares fell as early as 2 d.p.i. and remained depressed for seven days. Circulating immune complexes started to appear at 2 d.p.i., reached maximum levels at 10 d.p.i., but were undetectable at 28 d.p.i. Three of the six remaining mares developed varying degrees of inco-ordination at 8 and 9 d.p.i. In the two inco-ordinate mares that were killed at 9 and 10 d.p.i. the haemorrhages in the spinal cord and brain were associated with extensive endothelial cell fluorescence and thrombus formation. Clinical paresis coincided with an increase in circulating complement fixing and neutralising antibodies which in all six mares were higher against the subtype 2 isolate than subtype 1. In five yearlings infected with a subtype 2 isolate of EHV-1 platelet counts remained normal and neither immune complexes nor viraemia, nor inco-ordination were detected.