馬病毒性動脈炎(Equine Viral Arteritis, EVA)是由網巢病毒目(Nidovirales)動脈病毒科(Arterivirdae)動脈病毒屬(Arterivirus)之馬動脈炎病毒引起的馬科動物呼吸道及生殖道疾病。感染馬病毒性動脈炎的馬匹可能會出現呼吸道症狀及繁殖問題,造成馬匹工業極大的經濟損失。然而近十年內臺灣地區並無馬病毒性動脈炎之流行病學調查。因此,我們於2012年3月至7月分別於臺灣四個區域(北部、中部、南部和東部),採集全臺23個馬場217匹馬之頸靜脈血液樣本,對馬動脈炎病毒抗體進行酵素連結免疫吸收分析(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA)血清學檢測。結果顯示217個樣本的陽性率約為3.22% (7/217),且陽性的樣本僅發生於北部及中部。希望藉此建立臺灣馬病毒性動脈炎之流行病學,並依結果進行防疫策略之規劃與防治技術之研究與改進。
Equine viral arteritis (EVA) is an equine disease caused by the equine arteritis virus of the Nidoviridae family, and affected horses may have respiratory symptoms and reproductive problems, which can result in large economic losses. However, no epidemiological researches of EVA in Taiwan have been conducted in the past decade. Here, we collected 217 equine serum samples from 23 horse fields in northern, central, southern, and eastern regious of Taiwan since March to July, 2012. Samples were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Approximately 3.22% (7/217) of the samples were seropositive for EVA, and all seropositive samples were detected in the northern and central regions of Taiwan. Future research should focus on delineating the epidemiology of EVA. Furthermore, measures to prevent EVA outbreaks should be designed and promptly implemented.