Systematic Veterinary Virology

INTRODUCTION

• The equine encephalitides are clinically similar and are characterized by signs of CNS dysfunction and moderate to high mortality.
• Arboviruses (Arthropod borne viruses) are the most common cause of equine encephalitis.
• Arboviruses are transmitted by mosquitoes or other hematophagous insects and infect a variety of vertebrate hosts, sometimes including man, and may cause serious disease.
• Four different species of the genus Alphavirus of the family
• Togaviridae cause equine encephalitides, which include
• Eastern (Eastern equine encephalomyelitis) (EEE)
• Western (Western equine encephalomyelitis),
• Highlands J and
• Venezuelan (Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis).