Update on Viral Diseases of the Equine Respiratory Tract

A chapter in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice discusses “Update on Viral Diseases of the Equine Respiratory Tract.” The Australian researchers look at the importance of respiratory disease and outbreaks. You can read the access the chapter on sciencedirect.com.

Key Points

• Viruses are an important cause of serious respiratory disease outbreaks in horses.
• Equine influenza and the equine alphaherpesviruses are the most common causes of viral respiratory disease of horses.
• The role and significance of the equine picornaviruses and the equine gammaherpesviruses are unclear and need further research.
• Hendra virus and African horse sickness virus, although geographically limited in their distribution, cause serious systemic disease in infected horses, which can manifest as respiratory disease.

Authors

James R. Gilkerson, BVSc, BSc (Vet), PhD, Kirsten E. Bailey, BVSc (Hons), MANZCVSc, Andrés Diaz-Méndez, MedVet, MSc, PhD, and Carol A. Hartley, BSc (Hons), PhD, of the Centre for Equine Infectious Disease, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.