Equine herpesvirus 9 : implications for preventive medicine in zebras and Thomson's gazelles

Abstract

Equine herpesvirus 9 (EHV-9) is a neurotropic alphaherpesvirus first recognized in Thomson’s gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii), of which zebras are thought to be the natural hosts. Concerns about interspecies transmission in mixed animal exhibits at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park and Lodge prompted submission of banked serum samples from the aforementioned species for equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) virus neutralization titers, as EHV-1 cross reacts serologically with EHV-9. Positive titer results in the zebras suggest that modified preventive medicine measures are necessary to avoid viral transmission between zebras, Thomson’s gazelles, and other potentially susceptible species sharing the enclosures.