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Published on: March 17, 2016
Equid Herpesvirus 8 Isolated From an Adult Donkey in Israel
Gili Schvartz1, Nir Edery2, Lior Moss2
1Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel; Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Abstract:
We report the isolation of Equid herpesvirus 8 from a rescued donkey that suffered severe postcastration complications. Despite intensive treatment, the donkey deteriorated and was euthanized. Postmortem virologic analysis revealed the isolation of a herpesvirus that is closely related to herpesviruses reported from donkeys and horses in Australia, China, and Ireland, causing respiratory disease in donkeys and abortion in mares. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this equid herpesvirus in Israel. The potential significance of this herpesvirus to the equid population in Israel needs further investigation.
