UNCW researchers work with algae to treat deadly horse virus

Published: Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 10:18 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 10:18 a.m.

For a human, developing a cold sore is a minor, if irritating, inconvenience. But if a horse contracts that same virus, it can mean a death sentence. Using brownish micro-algae cultivated in large glass containers, researchers at the University of North Carolina Wilmington are aiming to change that.

“It's the equine herpes virus I, which is the same family as human herpes - the viral strains that cause cold sores,” said Arthur Frampton, assistant professor of virology, biology and marine biology at UNCW. “It starts as a respiratory infection, but it also causes neurological distress and abortions in pregnant mares.”

The virus is highly contagious. It can spread through direct contact between horses, but also through the air and via objects that have previously touched infected horses. In 2011, an outbreak spread through 10 states, infecting 90 horses and killing 13 over a two-month period.

The virus cropped up again last month in North Carolina. State officials said four horses at a Raleigh stable that had to be euthanized had equine herpes virus 1.

Once infected, the virus remains with the horse for life, lying dormant between outbreaks. Veterinarians have a window of about a week between the initial infection and the onset of more serious symptoms, but treatment options are limited. And once a horse develops neurological disorders, it's more or less a death sentence.

“You really can't recover from that,” said Jeffrey Wright, principal and director of research at UNCW's marine biotechnology campus MARBIONC, where the research is taking place. “And it's becoming more and more common.”

Researchers are hopeful that a chemical compound, derived from a micro-algae known as dinoflagellate, will successfully fight the virus in horses. The algae, isolated from sediments off the coast of Bermuda, are grown on-site at the MARBIONC culture facility, populating over time in large glass containers of liquid. They're microscopic, visible to the naked eye only when populations are dense enough to change the color of the liquid. Once the algae are mature, researchers harvest the organisms and extract chemical compounds from individual samples, then isolate the compound containing the anti-viral activity.

“Our preliminary data showed that one of the isolated compounds inhibited the equine herpes virus I,” Frampton said. “Other tests show that it works differently than other known compounds – it hits the virus in a different part of the life cycle.”

The next research step is small-animal testing, ensuring that the compound functions in mammals – most likely mice – without causing harm. Researchers are searching for funding for that process from a variety of sources, including private equestrian groups and horse owners.

If the compound is developed into an anti-viral medication, it could be administered to horses in mist form, similar to the flu vaccine. That delivery method would target the virus in the respiratory tract, potentially stopping it from entering the blood stream. And because the equine virus is similar to the herpes virus that affects humans, there's potential that any medical advancement could be helpful to people as well - though that's a long way off.

“From what we can conclude in preliminary studies, it's very encouraging,” Frampton said. “We know it stops the virus. The question is how and when, and that's a complicated question. It needs to be quantified better.”

Kate Elizabeth Queram: 343-2217

On Twitter: @kate_goes_bleu


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