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Updated: May 4, 2026
Development and Validation of a Quantitative PCR Method for Equid Herpesvirus-2 Diagnostics in Respiratory Fluids
Published on: March 17, 2016
Detection and quantitation of equid gammaherpesviruses (EHV-2, EHV-5) in nasal swabs using an accredited standardised
Erika S Hue1, Guillaume D Fortier1, Christine I Fortier2
1Frank Duncombe Laboratory-LABÉO, 1 route de Rosel, 14053 Caen Cedex 4, France; Normandie Universite, 14000 Caen, France; Unite Risques Microbiens (U2RM), EA 4655, 14032 Caen, France; Hippolia Foundation, La Maison du cheval, 6 avenue du Maréchal Montgomery, 14000 Caen, France.
Abstract:
Equid gammaherpesviruses-2 and -5 are involved in respiratory problems, with potential clinical manifestations such as nasal discharge, pharyngitis and swollen lymph nodes. These viruses are sometimes associated with a poor-performance syndrome, which may result in a significant and negative economic impact for the horse industry. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate quantitative PCR methods for the detection and quantitation of EHV-2 and EHV-5 in equine respiratory fluids. Two distinct tests were characterised: (a) for the qPCR alone and (b) for the whole method (extraction and qPCR) according to the standard model AFNOR XP U47-600-2 (viz., specificity, quantifiable sensibility, linearity, accuracy, range of application, trueness, precision, repeatability and precision of reproducibility). EHV-2 and EHV-5 detection were performed on nasal swabs collected from 172 horses, all of which exhibited clinical signs of respiratory disease. The data revealed a high rate of EHV-2/EHV-5 co-detection that was correlated significantly with age. Viral load of EHV-2 was significantly higher in young horses whereas viral load of EHV-5 was not significantly different with age.
