2014 CVM News: Breaking down blood clots

Abstract

This news item is about: A clot cutting off blood to the wrong place can spell disaster or death for unborn foals and even adult horses. When the infectious disease equine herpes virus-1 (EHV-1) causes its infamous effects, abortions and adult neurological disease, blood clots are to blame. Clinical pathologist Dr. Tracy Stokol has been investigating how the virus triggers these clots. Funded by the Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund for Equine Research, her work investigating the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of EHV-1 infection has shown that EHV-1 virus particles seem to be binding to platelets, small cells in blood involved in clotting.