Epona Respiratory Complete Panel Swab

Epona EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4, EHV-5, EIV, Streptococcus equi, Streptococcus zooepidemicus Swab

Strangles is a disease specific to equids, caused mainly by the bacterium Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, which belongs to the Streptococcaceae family. Depending on the immune status of the infected horse, and on the medical and sanitary management of the disease, it may occur in different forms:

Symptoms

Main clinical signs

Equine respiratory diseases, grouped under the term acute respiratory syndrome, may cause a complex and non-specific set of clinical signs such as pyrexia, serous nasal discharge or inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) belongs to the Herpesviridae family and causes equine rhinopneumonitis, together with equine herpesvirus 4. The disease may occur in a respiratory form (nasal discharge, cough, etc.), an abortive form (ataxia, locomotor disorders, fever, incontinence) or a neurological form (paresis, incoordination, paralysis) that may lead to death. The virus may also cause a latent infection, during which the horse shows no clinical signs. As this condition is transmissible between horses, isolation and identification of affected animals are essential to limit the spread of disease within an equine facility.

Equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) belongs to the genus Percavirus within the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. This virus is responsible for respiratory disorders at individual level, with little contagion reported. The virus is ubiquitous, meaning it is present or detected in a very large number of animals. Primary infection usually occurs in the first weeks of life, and reinfections may occur throughout the horse's life. EHV-2 causes mild respiratory signs, with scant nasal discharge, keratoconjunctivitis, pharyngitis, cough and/or apathy without marked pyrexia. It appears to play a role in fatigue and poor performance in horses.

Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) belongs to the Herpesviridae family and causes equine rhinopneumonitis, together with equine herpesvirus 1. In infected horses showing clinical signs, disease severity is influenced by age, physical condition, type of infection (primary, secondary or related to reactivation of a latent virus), immune status and strain virulence. Spread between horses is rapid and occurs by nasal inhalation or direct contact.

Equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) belongs to the genus Percavirus within the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. This virus is responsible for respiratory disorders at individual level, with little contagion reported. The virus is ubiquitous, meaning it is present or detected in a very large number of animals. Primary infection usually occurs in the first weeks of life, and reinfections may occur throughout the horse's life. EHV-5 is rarely associated with acute syndromes of the upper or intermediate respiratory tract. This virus has been shown to cause multinodular pulmonary fibrosis syndrome, characterised by intermittent fever, weight loss, cough and respiratory distress. The medium-term prognosis is poor.

The equine influenza virus belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family and the Influenza type A genus. The disease has a short incubation period (2 to 5 days) and may affect most of the horses in a stable within a matter of hours. The most common clinical signs are high fever, depression, anorexia, serous nasal discharge and a cough (from occasional to paroxysmal) that may be painful. In adult horses, mortality is very low; when it occurs, it is most often due to secondary bacterial infections. Young foals, however, may die from complications of pneumonia.

The bacterium Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus is part of the normal bacterial microflora of the upper and lower respiratory tract as well as the reproductive tract of horses. The transition from commensal bacterium to pathogen occurs after colonisation of the trachea and guttural pouches. S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen associated with a wide variety of diseases in horses, including pneumonia, mastitis, placentitis, endometritis, septicaemia and meningitis. Infection with S. zooepidemicus may also lead to total or partial infertility, isolated abortions in pregnant mares, or paralysis in foals due to polyarthritis. The bacterium may also infect a horse already contaminated with Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, and then predominate because it multiplies more rapidly in the body.

Clinical forms

• Immune-mediated form: a rare complication of strangles causing purpura haemorrhagica (subcutaneous oedema, petechiae, ecchymoses on the mucous membranes, etc.).

Advantages

Key benefits

The Full Respiratory Panel Swab tests are next-generation molecular tests enabling simple, reliable and rapid detection and differentiation of the pathogen, making it possible to isolate and treat the affected animal even before the first clinical signs appear.

Unlike conventional PCR reactions, Epona tests are carried out in only a few steps on a portable and easy-to-use reading system. Results can therefore be obtained in under 40 minutes directly in your clinic.

Uses and benefits

• Classic or “catarrhal” form: pyrexia, depression, congested mucous membranes, serous then mucopurulent nasal discharge, and swelling of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes.
• Chronic or complicated form: formation of chondroids in the guttural pouches, persistence of these chondroids for several years leading to asymptomatic carriers, and possible rupture of the retropharyngeal lymph node.
• Metastatic form: a rare form occurring at the same time as or after a classic form, consisting of metastatic abscesses (causing weight loss, colic, neurological disorders and respiratory distress) with possible septicaemic complications. This form may have a mortality rate of over 60%.

Indications

Recommended use

Tests are intended for in vitro diagnostic use by veterinarians in accordance with the user guides, manuals and technical specifications.