Easton-Jones CA, Madigan JE, Barnum S, Maxwell LK, Taylor SD, Arnesen T, Pusterla N. Effect of valacyclovir on EHV-5 viral kinetics in horses with equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis.
J Vet Intern Med 2018;
32:1763-1767. [PMID:
30221792 PMCID:
PMC6189341 DOI:
10.1111/jvim.15230]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Equine herpesvirus-5 is commonly isolated from the lungs of horses with EMPF, suggesting an etiological link. Valacyclovir is used empirically to treat EMPF; however, no data is available concerning its impact on EHV-5 viral kinetics.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the effect of oral administration of valacyclovir on EHV-5 viral load measured by qPCR in blood, nasal secretions (NS) and BALF in horses with EMPF.
ANIMALS
Six horses diagnosed with EMPF.
METHODS
A prospective clinical trial was performed. Horses received 10 days of PO administered valacyclovir (loading dose 30 mg/kg, maintenance dose 20 mg/kg). Blood, NS, and BALF were collected for EHV-5 viral kinetics analyses during treatment. Blood and NS were collected every other day. BALF was collected on day 0 and day 10.
RESULTS
There was no statistical difference in median EHV-5 viral load between day 0 and day 10 for all samples tested. In blood median EHV-5 viral load was 7676 (range 575-39 781) on day 0 and 6822 (range 1136-18 635) glycoprotein B (gB) gene copies per million cells on day 10. For NS median EHV-5 viral load was 2.944 × 106 (range 184 691-3.394 × 109 ) on day 0 and 8.803 × 106 (range 251 186-9.868 × 108 ) gB gene copies per million cells on day 10. For BALF median EHV-5 viral load was 59,842 (range 61-315 655) on day 0 and 185 083 (range 3562-542 417) gB gene copies per million cells on day 10.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Valacyclovir might not be an effective short-term antiviral treatment but efficacy in treatment of EMPF is unknown.
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