Antibody responses to equine parapoxvirus reveal a re-emerging pattern.
Authors: Pettersson Jenni, Levanov Lev, Tervo Sanna, Hautala Katja, Aaltonen Kirsi, Utriainen Mira, Kareinen Lauri, Gadd Tuija, Sironen Tarja, Vapalahti Olli, Kinnunen Paula M
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Equine Parapoxvirus Serology Reveals Cyclical Disease Pattern Equine parapoxvirus (EqPVV) emerged in Finland in 2013 as a cause of painful pastern dermatitis in racehorses, with documented large-scale epidemics occurring in winters 2021–2022 and suspected outbreaks in 2015 and 2019, yet its true prevalence and historical distribution remained unclear until now. Pettersson and colleagues developed a serological test to detect antibody responses against EqPVV and applied it retrospectively to archived serum samples spanning 2012–2022, enabling them to map the virus's temporal distribution and establish infection prevalence across the study period. Analysis of both clinical cases and background horse populations revealed a re-emerging cyclical pattern of infection, with serological evidence supporting the suspected outbreaks in intervening years and confirming the 2021–2022 epidemic as a genuine large-scale occurrence rather than an isolated event. Given EqPVV's potential zoonotic risk and its significant welfare impact on affected racehorses through painful skin lesions, these findings have important implications: practitioners should maintain heightened awareness of cyclical disease patterns for early detection, consider serological testing in suspected cases, and implement appropriate biosecurity measures, particularly during winter months when epidemics appear to cluster. The identification of this recurring epidemiological pattern suggests underlying environmental or management factors may be driving periodic outbreaks, warranting further investigation into seasonal triggers and transmission routes.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Equine parapoxvirus should be considered in differential diagnosis for unexplained pastern dermatitis and skin lesions in horses, particularly in winter months
- •Zoonotic potential means appropriate biosecurity and personal protective equipment should be used when handling affected horses
- •Serological testing now available can help confirm EqPPV cases and track exposure history in affected populations
Key Findings
- •Equine parapoxvirus caused a large-scale pastern dermatitis epidemic in Finnish racehorses during winter 2021–2022
- •Serological evidence suggests similar epidemics likely occurred in 2015 and 2019, indicating a re-emerging pattern
- •EqPPV is potentially zoonotic with similar viruses detected in humans in the USA
- •A novel serological test was developed to study immune response and seroprevalence using archived samples from 2012–2022