A MOUSE MODEL FOR TESTING THE PATHOGENICITY OF EQUINE HERPES VIRUS-1 STRAINS

A mouse model was developed for testing the pathogenicity of equine he rpes virus-1 (EHV-1) strains. The model was validated with EHV-1 strai ns that are known to be of a low or high pathogenicity in horses. From all parameters tested, the safety index, which was calculated from th e body weights of the mice after infection, proved to be the best pred ictive parameter. When this parameter was used, good and reliable corr elations were found with the pathogenicity of the EHV-1 strains in hor ses. This method enabled the differentiation between two experimental EHV-1 strains whose genetic backgrounds were supposedly equal.