Equine herpesvirus type 1 and 4 in individually reared horses in Central and Western Turkey

The objective of the study was to investigate EHV type 1 and 4 infections serologically in individually reared horses in Turkey. Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) and 4 comprise two distinct viruses of horses of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily. EHV1 is a major cause of abortion, respiratory and neurological disorders in horses. EHV4 is responsible for respiratory disease in foals. In this study, EHV1 and 4 infections were investigated serologically in individually reared horses in Turkey. A total of 188 unvaccinated horses in four provinces were sampled and tested using indirect ELISA. EHV1-specific antibodies were found to be in three out of four provinces as 3.7% (7/188) between 4.5-6.9%. Test results showed that EHV4 is more prevalent than EHV1, the proportion varied among 48.4% and 65.7% in four provinces, 107 out of 188 samples (56.9%) were found to be seropositive. This is the first serological investigation for EHV1 and EHV4 in Turkey.