ENCEPHALITIS ASSOCIATED WITH A VARIANT OF EQUINE HERPESVIRUS-1 IN A THOMSON GAZELLE (GAZELLA-THOMSONI)

A captive Thomson's gazelle (Gazella thomsoni) died after an acute neu rologic illness characterized by depression, recumbency, and seizures. Histopathologic changes in the brain consisted of mild subacute nonsu ppurative perivascular meningoencephalitis. Equine herpesvirus 1 was i solated from pooled brain and lung tissue. The virus was genetically d istinct from isolates recovered from domestic equids but was similar t o isolates from an onager and a zebra herd. This is the first report o f equine herpesvirus 1 infection associated with neurologic disease in a ruminant and may represent the isolation of a new equine herpesviru s 1 variant.