St. Joseph, Mo., U.S.A. – Age appears to be a significant factor in the prevalence of Equine Rhinitis Virus (ERAV and ERBV) in several regions of the United States, according to an extensive recent study.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetemedica (BIVI) conducted the research in collaboration with veterinarians at several leading universities. Rob Keene, DVM, equine technical manager, BIVI, recently presented the results at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum in New Orleans, LA.

“Equine rhinitis viruses have been associated with respiratory disease outbreaks worldwide,” Keene said. “ERAV and ERBV infections cause sub-clinical signs or fever, nasal discharge, coughing, anorexia, pharyngitis, laryngitis and enlarged submandibular lymph nodes. Over the past decade, serologic evidence of infection has been documented in Canada, Australia and throughout Europe. However, little recent serologic data exists in horse populations in the United States.”

The objective of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of Equine Rhinitis Virus A and B in horses between the ages of 1 and 4 by measuring serum-neutralizing antibodies in diverse geographic regions of the U.S. Frozen serum samples were obtained from six veterinary laboratories. Samples were shipped to Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center for evaluation. Serum neutralization titers >/- 1:96 for ERAV and ERBV were considered significant.

Serum samples were evaluated in 1,021 horses. Forty-four percent (451 horses) had neutralizing antibodies >/-1:96 to ERAV, while 16 percent (164 horses) were positive for ERBV. Of the 1,021 horses evaluated, specific ages were available for 554 horses. Seroprevalence for exposure to ERAV appeared to increase with age:

• Yearlings (11 of 126) 9%
• 2-year-olds (44 of 116) 38%
• 3-year-olds (50 of 163) 31%
• 4-year-olds  (52 of 149) 35%

“Serum neutralization antibodies to ERAV appear to be more common than ERBV in the population studied,” Keene concluded. “ERAV and ERBV infections warrant further investigation in horse populations in the United States and determination of their relationship to other concurrent respiratory pathogens in horses.”

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 42,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

For Boehringer Ingelheim — and its employees — carrying a good share of social responsibility is an important component in its business culture. Both global commitments in social projects and properly caring for all its employees are included. Respect, equal opportunity, and the balance of career and family life form the basis for mutual cooperation. And, environmental protection and sustainability are always the main focus during any of Boehringer Ingelheim’s undertakings.

In 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $17.1 billion (13.2 billion euro). R&D expenditure in the business area Prescription Medicines corresponds to 23.5% of its net sales.

For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com and follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/boehringerus.

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