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Date Available
9-1-2026
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Veterinary Science
Faculty
Lutz S. Goehring
Faculty
Emma Adam
Abstract
Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 and 4 (EHV-1/-4) circulate at equestrian facilities, contributing to outbreaks. Due to the complexities of the pathogen, including the limited predictability of reactivation from latency and the effects associated with secondary sites of viral replication, abortion, and neurologic disease, EHV infections are of utmost concern to the equine industry. Recent studies have highlighted the prevalence of the viruses in stabling areas at competitions, though little is known about this phenomenon in other high-traffic equine environments. This thesis presents two studies using air sampling surveillance methods to further explore the viral detection in other equine environments (veterinary facility and racetrack settings) including brief seasonal comparisons in viral shedding and mean genomic copies between experimental infection and field samples collected from facilities with no reported clinical cases. Results showed high frequency of low abundance in viral detection with 26/48 air samples positive for EHV-1 and 24/48 air samples positive for EHV-4 across both studies, suggesting that reactivation from latency and subsequent circulation may be more common than previously thought. Moreover, the substantial difference in the mean genomic copy numbers detected in air between the field study at the racetrack and a controlled EHV-1 infection study (10-fold increase) suggests the difference in airborne detection in the presence of high shedding, clinical cases versus what is detected in environments with no known active cases. Together, these studies will advance our knowledge of the disease, emphasizing the importance of early detection of the virus and the role of surveillance in mitigating the impact of EHV-1 and EHV-4 on the equine industry.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.300
Archival?
Archival
Funding Information
This study was supported by the International Equestrian Federation (no.: 2023-01180922) and the Lincoln Memorial University Summer Research Grant in 2024.
Recommended Citation
Hyde, Emma E., "ENVIRONMENTAL DETECTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF EQUID ALPHAHERPESVIRUSES IN EQUINE FACILITIES USING AIR SAMPLING" (2026). Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science. 78.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gluck_etds/78
Included in
Large or Food Animal and Equine Medicine Commons, Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons
